False Sense of Security on Protected Wi-Fi Networks

TL;DR

This study empirically evaluates the strength of Wi-Fi passwords in Singapore, revealing widespread weak practices like default passwords and short passphrases, which compromise network security.

Contribution

It provides an empirical analysis of real-world Wi-Fi passwords, highlighting common weaknesses and offering recommendations to enhance Wi-Fi security practices.

Findings

16% of passwords use minimal length or default settings

Prevalence of default passwords from hardware manufacturers

Weak passphrases undermine WPA2/WPA3 security

Abstract

The Wi-Fi technology (IEEE 802.11) was introduced in 1997. With the increasing use and deployment of such networks, their security has also attracted considerable attention. Current Wi-Fi networks use WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) for security (authentication and encryption) between access points and clients. According to the IEEE 802.11i-2004 standard, wireless networks secured with WPA2-PSK (Pre-Shared Key) are required to be protected with a passphrase between 8 to 63 ASCII characters. However, a poorly chosen passphrase significantly reduces the effectiveness of both WPA2 and WPA3-Personal Transition Mode. The objective of this paper is to empirically evaluate password choices in the wild and evaluate weakness in current common practices. We collected a total of 3,352 password hashes from Wi-Fi access points and determine the passphrases that were protecting them. We then analyze these passwords to investigate the impact of user's behavior and preference for convenience on passphrase strength in secured private Wi-Fi networks in Singapore. We characterized the predictability of passphrases that use the minimum required length of 8 numeric or alphanumeric characters, and/or symbols stipulated in wireless security standards, and the usage of default passwords, and found that 16 percent of the passwords show such behavior. Our results also indicate the prevalence of the use of default passwords by hardware manufacturers. We correlate our results with our findings and recommend methods that will improve the overall security and future of our Wi-Fi networks.