05-25-2004, 08:00 AM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Have PDA, Will�.. Jam?
Done anything interesting with the WiFi in your PDA recently? Brought any networks down? Why do I ask? The Inquirer reports that: "The Australian Computer Emergency Response Team has sent out warnings about just how easy it is to jam Wi-Fi networks, apparently as easy as using a PDA and a standard Wi-Fi networking card. It was first thought that Wi-Fi networks, although accepted as jammable, would not be taken down without the use of large expensive equipment. However, Queensland University of Technology students have proved this false. Although such attacks would be very difficult to protect against, individual computers aren't at risk � the only thing to worry about is the network going down."
Oh, is that all? :? As we grow more dependent on our umbilical connections to the data in the 'cloud', these kinds of attacks will probably become more common in future. New Scientist magazine, who originally carried the story go into more detail: "The problem stems from how the Wi-Fi networks allocate transmission channels. As in many other networks, Wi-Fi nodes check to see if other devices are transmitting on the same frequency band before they begin sending data, to avoid "collisions" that occur when two or more devices talk simultaneously. Like a conversation among a group of people, this works well as long as all devices are well-behaved. But it breaks down if one person or one device insists on talking loudly and continually."
"In essence, the Wi-Fi jamming is a denial of service attack. Unlike wired networks, wireless networks are accessible to any transmitter within range at the right frequency. The Queensland students showed that a PDA and wireless networking card could be combined to transmit in the required band. Any Wi-Fi devices within range would detect the jamming signal and stop transmitting for as long as the jamming continued. The wireless cards can only generate modest power and so will have a range limited to about 30 metres, estimates Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the US-based Wi-Fi Alliance. But the jamming signals need only be within range of one access point to affect all the computers associated with that network."
Hmmmm, it only takes one bad apple in a barrel��. It seems that if something can be broken, it's only a matter of time before it will. That's human nature for you. I wonder what can be done to prevent attacks like this?
Would it be tasteless to sign off with Bob Marley? :wink: "We're jamming, jamming. And I hope you like jamming too." Cause it's coming to a WiFi spot near you! :?
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05-25-2004, 01:00 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 633
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Following the analogy, is it me, or was this not blindingly obvious?
Surely the answer must lie in some form of modulation or frequency shift? Is it a very small 'band'?
I must be missing something here - ... :?:
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05-25-2004, 01:14 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DrtyBlvd
Following the analogy, is it me, or was this not blindingly obvious?
Surely the answer must lie in some form of modulation or frequency shift? Is it a very small 'band'?
I must be missing something here - ... :?:
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The new thing is this:
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It was first thought that Wi-Fi networks, although accepted as jammable, would not be taken down without the use of large expensive equipment
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i.e. you can do this with a PDA, which was apparently not understood before now.
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05-25-2004, 01:46 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 633
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Ahhh - I read it but I didn't take the significance in. 
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05-25-2004, 03:27 PM
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Editorial Contributor
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,411
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Even that would seem obvious, given that any node on the network could talk incessently. It is not really jamming, in the typical RF sense, since it is not denying use of the spectrum, it is actually below that in the data layer. It is something the protocol allows. Haven't seen it in a long time but it was not uncommon in a 10b2 network for one host NIC to 'chatter' taking down a segment. This seems to be just intentional 'chatter'. Swell, another opportunity for those that have nothing better to do than make life difficult for those of us who have a life.
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Sometimes you are the anteater, sometimes you are the ant.
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05-25-2004, 07:02 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 734
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Hardly a surprise. A cheapo cordless phone will do the trick too. A lot of things broadcast on that bandwidth, so jamming happens already.
So are they using some special software to jam the AP's? I'd love to know how they did it. I have a network at home and one at school, and there's times when a jammer would come in pretty handy ;-)
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05-25-2004, 08:05 PM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,616
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Not sure if this is jamming, but there's a network/AP in the vicinity of Playland in Vancouver that managed to disable the wireless on my iPaq 3670/Orinoco Gold card whenever we drove past the place. It may just be a misconfigured AP but it's kinda nifty to watch happen.
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05-25-2004, 08:30 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,097
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I see no legitimate use for this.
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Please see www.grlt.com "Tech with a twist of lime!"
The Midlands Hybrid Club MidlandsHybrid.com
Current: Kacey's Wing, T-mo Wing Past: GCM_T, T-Mobile MDA |
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05-25-2004, 08:33 PM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Kacey Green
I see no legitimate use for this.
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Its bedtime, junior is a techno geek that has the house wired for wireless, and you want him to get off the freakin net and go to sleep. So you jam the signal. No matter how he tries, he can't surf, so he goes to sleep.
Oh, better make sure you grab his ethernet cables though... 
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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05-25-2004, 08:50 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,097
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Then the whole network is down and your neighbors too. :roll:
__________________
Please see www.grlt.com "Tech with a twist of lime!"
The Midlands Hybrid Club MidlandsHybrid.com
Current: Kacey's Wing, T-mo Wing Past: GCM_T, T-Mobile MDA |
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