Evil Twin and Fake Wireless Access
Point Hacks: What They Are, How To
Defend
Hacking is a term with a wide variety of acts
associated with it. Some are incredibly complex
and demand a high degree of knowledge, others
are little more than installing some software on
your device and acting a bit...less than ethically.
One of the most common hacks is also one of the
easiest to defend against. This is what is known as
a fake wireless access point. Hackers use this
tactic to easily steal data of unsuspecting wireless
users in public places.
What is a fake wireless access point data theft?
This type of attack has a number of nicknames
associated with it: AP Phishing, Wi-Fi Phishing,
Hotspotter, Evil Twins, and Honeypot AP. All of
these are associated with creating a fake Wi-Fi
connection that people log into, and whose goal is
to steal credentials, logins, and passwords.
To accomplish this, hackers simply use a piece of
software, or app, that is designed to capture data
that is sent over a wireless connection. Examples
of software that is sued during a fake Wi-Fi
attack includes:
AirSSL
AirJack
Airsnarf
Dsniff
Cain
void11
No matter which apps are used, the key to it all is
setting up a wireless connection that people will
want to connect to. When they go to connect to
the wireless point they likely won’t suspect a
thing. Why? Because this tactic is used most often
in public areas.
If you were to go into your local Starbucks, sit
down with your mochalatte venti with cream and
sugar pumpkin spice, and open up your tablet,
finding a connection labelled ‘Starbucks Free
WiFi,’ you’d probably connect in a heartbeat (on
which is quicken by caffeine, at that). The same
goes if you’re on a layover at JFK and you see a
connection labelled ‘JFK Free Wi-Fi.- You wouldn’t
think twice. That’s what the hackers are counting
on - you not thinking.
How is your data stolen during a fake wireless
access point theft?
How your most important data is stolen is a little
shocking - you give it to them. A large
percentage of these hacks take place with a fake
wireless point that requires a login and password.
Once that information is put into the login,
hackers will take it and use it to sign into popular
websites, assuming that you use the same login
and password for multiple sites.
When your online accounts start showing charges
that you didn’t initiate, or if your social media
account is taken over, you could be the victim of
a fake wireless access point data theft.
How to defend against an ‘Evil Twin’ attack?
There are a number of ways to defend against it,
I’ll look at some easy to understand examples:
The best defence is to always
verify with the wifi provider. Ask
the Starbucks staff what their
wi-fi is called, it can save you a
massive headache. Always
remember - if a deal seems too
good to be true, like free wifi, it
probably is.
Use different login details and
passwords for public wifi.
Disconnect auto-connect when
you’re in unfamiliar territory.
Be cautious when connects
suddenly disconnect, especially if
it happens for everyone on the
network. An app known as aireplay
is capable of disconnecting users
from wifi, hoping that they’ll
reconnect to their fake wifi.
Be cautious of certificates. Good
websites can occasionally send you
one, but if this happens over a
public wifi that you don’t know, it
is best to back off.
If a wifi hotspot is interfering
with your VPN, forcing you to
shut it down, that is a HUGE red
flag. A VPN is a great defence
against this attack, and hackers
know it. Forcing your VPN to
disable when you’re trying to
connect is the only way that they
can steal your data.
That last point is one I want to look at further. A
VPN can be a great defence against this type of
attack because it encrypts all of the data that
you send out. With this data being encrypted, even
when you create your login and password with the
fake wifi, your data can not be stolen because it
can not be deciphered. We review our Top 10 VPNs
over on our website if you’re interested in
learning more about them.
A last option that I’ll suggest is using SSL-
protected apps. These do take more care and
thought to use, but they will offer you protection
that is similar to a VPN. Some hackers have even
found a way around SSL protection ( the BREACH
method), so you may want to explore using this
with a secondary defensive measure.
The overall advice is to be cautious and verify
before you connect. People look at me weird all
the time when I ask for the correct wifi name
that I should use to connect to. I’ve never been
the victim of an ‘Evil Twin’ attack...I’ll take a
funny look or two!
Point Hacks: What They Are, How To
Defend
Hacking is a term with a wide variety of acts
associated with it. Some are incredibly complex
and demand a high degree of knowledge, others
are little more than installing some software on
your device and acting a bit...less than ethically.
One of the most common hacks is also one of the
easiest to defend against. This is what is known as
a fake wireless access point. Hackers use this
tactic to easily steal data of unsuspecting wireless
users in public places.
What is a fake wireless access point data theft?
This type of attack has a number of nicknames
associated with it: AP Phishing, Wi-Fi Phishing,
Hotspotter, Evil Twins, and Honeypot AP. All of
these are associated with creating a fake Wi-Fi
connection that people log into, and whose goal is
to steal credentials, logins, and passwords.
To accomplish this, hackers simply use a piece of
software, or app, that is designed to capture data
that is sent over a wireless connection. Examples
of software that is sued during a fake Wi-Fi
attack includes:
AirSSL
AirJack
Airsnarf
Dsniff
Cain
void11
No matter which apps are used, the key to it all is
setting up a wireless connection that people will
want to connect to. When they go to connect to
the wireless point they likely won’t suspect a
thing. Why? Because this tactic is used most often
in public areas.
If you were to go into your local Starbucks, sit
down with your mochalatte venti with cream and
sugar pumpkin spice, and open up your tablet,
finding a connection labelled ‘Starbucks Free
WiFi,’ you’d probably connect in a heartbeat (on
which is quicken by caffeine, at that). The same
goes if you’re on a layover at JFK and you see a
connection labelled ‘JFK Free Wi-Fi.- You wouldn’t
think twice. That’s what the hackers are counting
on - you not thinking.
How is your data stolen during a fake wireless
access point theft?
How your most important data is stolen is a little
shocking - you give it to them. A large
percentage of these hacks take place with a fake
wireless point that requires a login and password.
Once that information is put into the login,
hackers will take it and use it to sign into popular
websites, assuming that you use the same login
and password for multiple sites.
When your online accounts start showing charges
that you didn’t initiate, or if your social media
account is taken over, you could be the victim of
a fake wireless access point data theft.
How to defend against an ‘Evil Twin’ attack?
There are a number of ways to defend against it,
I’ll look at some easy to understand examples:
The best defence is to always
verify with the wifi provider. Ask
the Starbucks staff what their
wi-fi is called, it can save you a
massive headache. Always
remember - if a deal seems too
good to be true, like free wifi, it
probably is.
Use different login details and
passwords for public wifi.
Disconnect auto-connect when
you’re in unfamiliar territory.
Be cautious when connects
suddenly disconnect, especially if
it happens for everyone on the
network. An app known as aireplay
is capable of disconnecting users
from wifi, hoping that they’ll
reconnect to their fake wifi.
Be cautious of certificates. Good
websites can occasionally send you
one, but if this happens over a
public wifi that you don’t know, it
is best to back off.
If a wifi hotspot is interfering
with your VPN, forcing you to
shut it down, that is a HUGE red
flag. A VPN is a great defence
against this attack, and hackers
know it. Forcing your VPN to
disable when you’re trying to
connect is the only way that they
can steal your data.
That last point is one I want to look at further. A
VPN can be a great defence against this type of
attack because it encrypts all of the data that
you send out. With this data being encrypted, even
when you create your login and password with the
fake wifi, your data can not be stolen because it
can not be deciphered. We review our Top 10 VPNs
over on our website if you’re interested in
learning more about them.
A last option that I’ll suggest is using SSL-
protected apps. These do take more care and
thought to use, but they will offer you protection
that is similar to a VPN. Some hackers have even
found a way around SSL protection ( the BREACH
method), so you may want to explore using this
with a secondary defensive measure.
The overall advice is to be cautious and verify
before you connect. People look at me weird all
the time when I ask for the correct wifi name
that I should use to connect to. I’ve never been
the victim of an ‘Evil Twin’ attack...I’ll take a
funny look or two!
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