If you think it is enough to use a strong password for wireless connections, you are wrong: many hackers offer methods and guides to be able to access a protected Wi-Fi network, and some methods take just a few seconds. Using a wireless connection, security becomes even more important because those who gain access to the network can use it for free, to carry out illegal activities without the owner being aware of it.
Knowing your enemies is the first defense tool we can adopt: if we know the methods used to hack Wi-Fi networks and access without authorization, we will be able to defend ourselves adequately and remove the "Sunday hackers" or those who think they are smart without being smart.
In this guide we will show you the most used methods to hack wireless networks and all the counter-moves to make the search for the password more difficult.
READ ALSO -> Verify LAN / Wifi network security by simulating hacker attacks
We assume that, with the right amount of time and resources, there is no completely secure and indecipherable wireless connection : in fact, our only protection lies in the difficulty that we can give to the hacker in carrying out his work.
If we take all the necessary precautions, hacking times exceed decades, which would discourage anyone!
But if the hacker has a hidden computer network (Botnet) that he can access (stealing system resources) to try to force a password, then the violation could take only a few days or even a few minutes!
Below we show you the methods used to hack a wireless network :
1) Sniffing
Sniffing is the simplest of all attacks; it is the process of intercepting data transmitted from an unsecured wireless network .
If we connect to a wireless network from hotels or public places, the risks are high because, since there are many users connected, a hacker has a wide choice.
When we are on an unsecured or public network, we carefully avoid providing personal information in chat or within any site, to avoid providing valid tools to find and identify the password.
By connecting only to private networks, the risk of sniffing is quite remote, given that to exploit it we will necessarily have to have the access password.
In another guide we told you about the tips for surfing the internet using public wifi networks .
2) Spoofing
If you have set up a wireless network, you will probably notice that no computer on the network requires the password after the first login.
They automatically log in as soon as they find the signal.
One of the most common hacker attacks involves the creation of a wireless network identical to the original (same name or SSID but without password) but with a much stronger signal, so that the devices can connect to it instead of to the real network.
This free network could also offer Internet connectivity, but it has the sole purpose of letting the hacker enter the PC: once entered, it can exploit known vulnerabilities to recover the Wi-Fi passwords saved on the computer (as well as other personal information) .
The only way to avoid this type of attack is to carefully check the icon of the network to which we connect: if there is a shield on the name of our network, we are actually connected to a cloned network with free access, so better to exit and connect only to the legitimate network.
3) WPS attack
One of the easiest vulnerabilities to use for the hacker is related to WPS functionality .
It allows you to connect wireless devices to the modem or router without having to type in a password each time; press a button on the modem and enable WPS on the device to be connected: after a few seconds the devices will be connected, without having to do anything else.
Unfortunately, WPS can listen for several minutes waiting for a device to be connected and, in this period of time, a hacker could take advantage of it to enter our network undisturbed.
Another attack on the WPS can be carried out directly, exploiting a vulnerability of the code that generates the automatic connection PINs : in this case it is sufficient that WPS is available on the modem or router to complete the attack (usually via app or software, able to find the password in 2 seconds if the vulnerability is present on the specific model of modem or router that we use).
Fortunately, not all modems are vulnerable to this type of WPS attack, but as a precaution we advise you to completely turn off WPS on our modems or routers and always proceed by entering the password manually.
4) Password brute-force
Cracking passwords on a wireless network is a complex activity for normal users but it is daily bread for a good hacker, who can use operating systems designed for hacking like Kali Linux .
There are many ways to break the encryption of a wireless network:
- Wireless networks with WPA2 protection can be violated via the command line with a few simple commands, but the TKIP algorithm must be present; if instead the AES algorithm is present, the attack is considerably more difficult.
In the latter case, the only effective method is dictionary attack: a large database of generic passwords is used (the most common and the most specific ones) and you try one at a time until you find the right one; it goes without saying that more complex passwords can hardly be contained in a dictionary, thus making this type of attack null.
- Wireless networks with WPA and WEP protection are easier to crack from the command line, it can take little time to recover the password from both protocols ( WEP a few seconds, WPA a few minutes with the TKIP algorithm).
The most difficult attacks to carry out (WPA2 with AES) can also be conducted with social engineering techniques: before attempting the attack, the hacker retrieves a lot of information on the victim, in particular on what he likes and often uses, so to try with specific dictionaries (for example if we like to see Star Trek movies and TV series often, a hacker will first try a specific dictionary with all the terms and names present on Star Trek).
In this specific case social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) do not help, especially if we have shared a lot of personal information.
READ ALSO -> How to find out the WPA / WPA2 Wi-Fi network password
4) Attack through malware
A virus or trojan can install itself secretly on our PC, simply by opening an email or browsing a compromised website (an open advertisement may be enough by mistake).
The Trojan can spy on our conversations and access areas of the PC where passwords are stored, thus facilitating access to our Wi-Fi network.
A good way to avoid this type of malware-mediated attack is to install a good antivirus on your PC and download one of the best free firewalls .
5) How to protect yourself adequately
To protect yourself from attempts to steal your wireless network password, just follow some common sense rules and correctly configure your Wi-Fi modem or router to be "resistant" to the vast majority of attacks (eye not invulnerable, but difficult to deal with ).
In this regard, I refer to the guide to secure your home Wifi connection and protect yourself from network intrusions which, in a nutshell, requires the following precautions
- We use the WPA2 protocol with AES algorithm as protection for wireless networks
- We disable the WPS functionality, which is very risky for any type of wireless network
- We choose a generic password not based on any of our passion or information recoverable from social networks; the password must be at least 12 characters long and must include uppercase characters, at least 2 numbers and a special character (@, #, £, $, % etc.)
- We avoid providing the main password to guests in the house, but we enable (if possible) a Wi-Fi network to be dedicated exclusively to guests (to be constantly monitored).
- We change the Wi-Fi password every 12 months, so as to void any attack brought in the previous months.
With these simple tricks we will be able to keep improvised hackers far enough and put the best ones in difficulty (which if they want to enter a way they always find it!).
If we do not know how to change the Wi-Fi password or how to set the other items that we have recommended (for example for WPS) we refer you to reading our wireless router configuration guide .
6) Conclusions
These are some common methods of hacking a wireless network, but they are not the only ones:
new vulnerabilities are found every day and attempts to protect themselves 100% are increasingly complicated.
Fortunately, we must consider that, at least that we are not sensitive targets as administrators of a multinational company, senators or the owners of big-turnover sites, it will be difficult to become targets of attacks carried out by hacking professionals.
As said many times most of the times that a PC is infected with viruses or controlled from the outside it is because of the victim who, out of ignorance or imprudence, has not set the basic safety barriers (antivirus, firewall, anti-malware scans and secure passwords).
READ ALSO -> Bypass login on secure wifi to access the internet
