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KRACK Wi-Fi hack

Damn now we can’t even trust wi-fi anymore? Asking for the wi-fi password maybe dangerous even more so if you are an Android or Linux user since a protocol that governs all modern wi-fi routers has been found to have a major vulnerability.

When you’re setting your home wi-fi, your network is “protected” or secured by a WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) and given the option of using a pre-shared key. It basically prevents your neighbors from seeing what sites you may visit or mooch off your internet service.

WPA2 replaced WEP due to it being flawed back in 2003, but it looks like we are going to need a new form of protection. A researcher by the name of Mathy Vanhoef revealed the major flaw in WPA2 and has named it KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attacks).  So what does it do? Basically, this flaw allows “man-in-the-middle attacks” opening up your network for ransomware and the injection of other malicious attacks on your computers.

Also, your most important information like bank accounts, credit cards, passwords, photos, emails and anything else you save to your computer is fair game to the hackers. If you are an Android or Linux user, you should be worried because KRACK is highly effective against devices that use those operating systems.

There is some good news in this story though, KRACK maybe highly potent but it requires the user to be closer to a router’s signal to connect to it. There also patches for vulnerability being rolled out.  Also, the “handshake” between your computer and a website you visit is just one precaution against those who mean to do you harm. So secure https sites are for the most part still secure when you visit them.

KRACK is still a proximity vulnerability requiring the hacker to be close your router so you can’t be hacked from anywhere around the globe. Still, with news of all these major breaches and hacks coming to light every day it still is a cause for concern.

Can’t these hackers be more productive and find Trump’s tax returns or hack Sallie Mae and wipeout student debt? Just saying.

Photo: screen cap