Cracking WEP

Just been reading this link. WEP is not as secure as I thought!

http://securityfocus.com/infocus/1814

Is it actually illegal to try and find someone's WEP key?

If NOT is it illegal to enter the WEP key into your own system and for
example connect to the Internet via someone else's system.

If NOT it MUST surely be illegal to browse someone else's file system.

Is it the wireless telegraphy act or something else that covers this.

I must stress I have no intention of trying to hack into someone else's
system. I live in a rural area and the nearest property in about a mile away
and I have no desire to go cruising up and down the neighbourhood with my
laptop!

I only want to know in case someone tried to crack MY system!

Kimball K Kinnison wrote:

> Just been reading this link. WEP is not as secure as I thought!

Who told you it was secure, the manufacturer?

> Is it actually illegal to try and find someone's WEP key?
> If NOT is it illegal to enter the WEP key into your own system and for
> example connect to the Internet via someone else's system.
> If NOT it MUST surely be illegal to browse someone else's file system.
> Is it the wireless telegraphy act or something else that covers this.

Not likely to be Wireless Telegraphy act as using 2.4GHz spectrum does
not require a specific licence, more likely the Computer Misuse Act

Kimball K Kinnison <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Just been reading this link. WEP is not as secure as I thought!
>
> http://securityfocus.com/infocus/1814
>
> Is it actually illegal to try and find someone's WEP key?
>
> If NOT is it illegal to enter the WEP key into your own system and for
> example connect to the Internet via someone else's system.

> If NOT it MUST surely be illegal to browse someone else's file system.
>
> Is it the wireless telegraphy act or something else that covers this.

Computer Misuse Act.

The router is a computer (my WRT54G runs an ebay sniping program for
example, in addition to normal duties).
'You' are changing contents of memory that you do not have permission to
do in the router.
Perhaps also the same argument for the ISPs computers at the other end.
(packet buffers, MAC tables, ...)

WEP is horribly insecure.

In article <41c87997$0$45370$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) (Ian Stirling) wrote:

> The router is a computer (my WRT54G runs an ebay sniping program for
> example, in addition to normal duties).

Case law supporting this claim?

A router is not a computer within the meaning of the 1990 Act.

--
Paul Cummins - Always a NetHead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981

Paul Cummins wrote:

> A router is not a computer within the meaning of the 1990 Act.

Not exactly case law, but in this case what's the significant difference?

It runs linux booted from flash rom, surely it can't be excluded that
easily, you could build a functionally similar router out of a mini-itx
board with dual ethernet, a mini-pci WiFi card and a CF card for
storage, again booting linux ...

On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 23:47 +0000 (GMT Standard Time),
(E-Mail Removed) (Paul Cummins) wrote:

>In article <41c87997$0$45370$(E-Mail Removed)>,
>(E-Mail Removed) (Ian Stirling) wrote:
>
>> The router is a computer (my WRT54G runs an ebay sniping program for
>> example, in addition to normal duties).
>
>Case law supporting this claim?
>
>A router is not a computer within the meaning of the 1990 Act.

Case law supporting this claim?

Almost any technically aware person would accept that a router is a
computer.

Whether it is one within the meaning of the act is more debatable,
since there is no real definition in British law of what the term
"computer" means.

I believe Ian is right, but unless and until a case comes to court, we
won't know for sure.
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
Read the dictionary backwards and look for secret messages.

To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, (E-Mail Removed)
(Alex Heney) wrote:

>
> Almost any technically aware person would accept that a router is a
> computer.

On the contrary, most technically aware people will state that a router is
not a computer - it may compute, but it runs a single program which is
held in (semi) permanent memory and cannot be easily changed.

A computer, by comparison, runs any number of generic programs
concurrently or consecutively, and the memory can be changed easily with
simple commands.

--
Paul Cummins - Always a NetHead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981

> > The router is a computer (my WRT54G runs an ebay sniping program for
> > example, in addition to normal duties).
> Case law supporting this claim?
> A router is not a computer within the meaning of the 1990 Act.

IANAL

A router is a hardware device with limited native "programming" potential
- if its classed as a computer, why isn`t a microwave oven, or indeed any
device with an embedded IC that gives feedback of some sort ? (ie. a kids
doll that cries, but stops when you wave the associated bottle at it)

--
Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email
--- My new email address has "ngspamtrap" & @btinternet.com in it ;-) ---

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
Alex Heney <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>
> On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 23:47 +0000 (GMT Standard Time),
> (E-Mail Removed) (Paul Cummins) wrote:
>
>>In article <41c87997$0$45370$(E-Mail Removed)>,
>>(E-Mail Removed) (Ian Stirling) wrote:
>>
>>> The router is a computer (my WRT54G runs an ebay sniping program for
>>> example, in addition to normal duties).
>>
>>Case law supporting this claim?
>>
>>A router is not a computer within the meaning of the 1990 Act.
>
> Almost any technically aware person would accept that a router is a
> computer.
>
> Whether it is one within the meaning of the act is more debatable,
> since there is no real definition in British law of what the term
> "computer" means.
>
> I believe Ian is right, but unless and until a case comes to court, we
> won't know for sure.

A computer scientist knows a router is a computer. However, what the
general public think of it is quite different. For many years they would
have demanded it had flashing lights and spin tape reels madly back and
forth to qualify. Now, they'd probably insist it had a monitor, or be
able to run MS Windows, or some equally banal criterion.

English case law would take account of the views of those who know what
they're talking about, and of the populist view - and no doubt come up
with something completely at odds with both. But of course it hasn't
done so yet, as many point out.

--
Tim Clark

Colin Wilson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> > The router is a computer (my WRT54G runs an ebay sniping program for
>> > example, in addition to normal duties).
>> Case law supporting this claim?
>> A router is not a computer within the meaning of the 1990 Act.
>
>IANAL
>
>A router is a hardware device with limited native "programming" potential
>- if its classed as a computer, why isn`t a microwave oven, or indeed any
>device with an embedded IC that gives feedback of some sort ? (ie. a kids
>doll that cries, but stops when you wave the associated bottle at it)

If an electronic device is programmable and processes information that
makes it a computer, the traffic systems I worked on (EEPROMS) the watch I
wear, the car I drive all have computers in them (according to the manual
the car has about 25 ) These may have only been programmed once (car and
watch ones) but they still process info. The first CASE computers I worked
on in machine code with 1kb of RAM where definitely computers even if they
are now totally surpassed in power by my watch :-)

That makes me feel old :-(

What the politicians describe as a computer is not relevant as Engineers
designed them and they can and have defined them.

FYI doing a google on "definition computer" pulls up a pile of links from
some good universities which more or less all agree.

For the OP I do not know the law but if someone is worried about security
WIFI is not a good way to go, if they need it WPA is at least the min level
they should be looking at. WEP would keep out the neighbour stumbling
around but would not stop someone who wanted in. I gave up worrying and
encrypted my financial information and ignored the rest. I run WEP and have
left the router so I can see the lights, If there was activity and I or my
family are not online I would investigate. I also let the firewall track
all urls and IP just in case.


Andy