Wireless Network Security Flashcards

Which wireless encryption protocol is considered completely broken due to its weak IV implementation and can be cracked within minutes?

Answer: WEP

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) uses RC4 with 24-bit IVs that repeat frequently, allowing statistical attacks to recover the key in minutes.

What type of wireless attack creates a fake access point with the same SSID as a legitimate network to intercept client traffic?

Answer: Evil Twin attack

An Evil Twin attack sets up a rogue AP mimicking a legitimate SSID to lure clients into connecting through the attacker.

Which 802.11 management frame type is commonly spoofed to forcibly disconnect wireless clients from an access point?

Answer: Deauthentication frame

Deauthentication frames are unauthenticated 802.11 management frames, making them trivially spoofable to kick clients off a network.

Which wireless security protocol introduced mandatory AES-CCMP encryption and replaced the original WPA standard?

Answer: WPA2

WPA2 (IEEE 802.11i) mandated AES-CCMP encryption, replacing the weaker TKIP used in WPA and significantly improving security.

What is the primary purpose of the WPA2 4-way handshake?

Answer: To verify the PSK and derive per-session encryption keys between client and AP

The 4-way handshake confirms both parties know the Pre-Shared Key and derives the Pairwise Transient Key (PTK) used to encrypt session traffic.

What term describes the reconnaissance technique of driving around with a wireless-enabled device to discover and map nearby Wi-Fi networks?

Answer: War driving

War driving involves traveling with a wireless adapter and software to passively discover, log, and map wireless networks in an area.

Which frequency band does the 802.11a wireless standard exclusively operate on?

Answer: 5 GHz

802.11a operates only in the 5 GHz band, offering more non-overlapping channels and less interference than the crowded 2.4 GHz band.