Have PDA, Will….. Jam?

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99995000' target='_blank'>http://www.newscientist.com/news/ne...p?id=ns99995000</a><br /><br /></div>Done anything interesting with the WiFi in your PDA recently? Brought any networks down? Why do I ask? The <a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=15979">Inquirer reports</a> 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."<br /><br />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. <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99995000">New Scientist</a> 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." <br /><br />"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."<br /><br />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? <br /><br />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! :?

[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 - ... :?:

[Jonathon Watkins]

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 - ... :?:

The new thing is this:

It was first thought that Wi-Fi networks, although accepted as jammable, would not be taken down without the use of large expensive equipment

i.e. you can do this with a PDA, which was apparently not understood before now.

[DrtyBlvd]

Ahhh - I read it but I didn't take the significance in. :D

[Sven Johannsen]

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.

[bjornkeizers]

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 ;-)

[ctmagnus]

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.

[Kacey Green]

I see no legitimate use for this.

[Jon Westfall]

I see no legitimate use for this.


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... ;)

[Kacey Green]

Then the whole network is down and your neighbors too. :roll:

[bjornkeizers]

I see no legitimate use for this.


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... ;)

Exactly what I was thinking. That, and the fear i'd instill in users. Worship thy god, the netop or he shall lay his wrath upon thee! :D

[kosmicki]

That, andthefear i'd instill in users. Worship thy god, the netop or he shall lay his wrath upon thee! :D



Bingo! A new way for a BOFH to torture users.

[Steven Cedrone]

Bingo! A new way for a BOFH to torture users.

Heh! BOFH, (http://bofh.ntk.net/Bastard.html) now I haven't heard that for a while! Some things just get better with age! :wink:

Steve

[bjornkeizers]

Oh My GOD! We have some BOFH fans here?? 8O :D

(hardly surprising)

Steven, Simon Travaglia is actually still writing new ones! Check The Register's BOFH page! (http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/bofh/) - new ones coming out every week or so, and the ones on the register go back to 2001. If any of you have never read BOFH - you're missing out on some really great user torture ideas :D

[Steven Cedrone]

Oh My GOD! We have some BOFH fans here?? 8O :D

(hardly surprising)

Steven, Simon Travaglia is actually still writing new ones! Check The Register's BOFH page! (http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/bofh/) - new ones coming out every week or so, and the ones on the register go back to 2001. If any of you have never read BOFH - you're missing out on some really great user torture ideas :D

I had no idea he was still writing them!

Must...resist...urge...to...waste...entire...day...reading...BOFH! :wink:

Thanks! :way to go:

Steve