To read the other 2 parts of the article, click below:
List of Wireless Network Attacks - Part1
List of Wireless Network Attacks - Part2
As the name suggests, authentication attacks are initiated by intruders and attackers in order to steal the identity of the user, personal information, login credentials, etc. to gain access to valuable resources. Authentication is one of the processes of preventing an outsider from gaining access to a user’s account or information. Intruders by using different authentication attacks steal the user’s identity and pretend to be what they are not. Different types of authentication attacks are:
Shared Key Guessing
An intruder by use of various cracking tools tries to guess the shared key of a wireless network and gain access to it. These tools make use of brute force technique (trying different combinations in real time) in order to make guessing of a shared key.
Tools Used
WEP Cracking tools
PSK Cracking
PSK stands for Pre Shared key. A shared key can be in any format: a pass phrase or anything else. A PSK is a key that has already been shared. The attacker tries to intercept the successful handshake and then uses a dictionary attack to retrieve the shared key.
Tools Used
KisMAC, coWPAtty, wpa_crack and genpmk
Application Login Theft
Here, the attackers try to steal the login credentials of a user like email address, username and password from application protocol.
Tools Used
PHoss , Ace Password Sniffer, WinSniffer and Dsniff
Domain Login Cracking
Attacking the domain names and retrieving the user credentials like username and password with the help of network sniffing tools. Such tools make use of brute force technique to gain access to user credentials.
Tools Used
L0phtCrack , John the Ripper and Cain
VPN Login Cracking
Cracking usernames and passwords by executing brute force attacks on VPN protocols.
Tools Used
ike_crack (IPsec) & ike_scan, THC-pptp-bruter and anger
802.1X Identity Theft
The packets sent by the 802.1x protocol in response is captured by an attacker to crack user credentials.
Tools Used
Capturing Tools
802.1X Password Speculation
After an attacker intercepts an identity, he/she continuously guesses the password in order to pass authentication.
Tools Used
Password dictionary and other tools
802.1X LEAP Cracking
The attacker captures the LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) packets and then cracks the user credentials from it.
Tools Used
Asleap, Anwrap and THC-LEAPcracker
802.1X EAP Downgrade
Using this technique, an attacker forces the server to offer a weaker type of authentication by issuing continuous NAK/EAP packets in response. NAK stands for Negative Acknowledgement.
Tools Used
libradiate and File2air