I just hacked my neigbour's wireless router

Yesterday, I went to my friend Chantal to help her with her new laptop
(a Dell computer with an integrated wireless network card). After the
first reboot, an icon poped up on the desktop, telling me that the
integrated wireless network card had detected a "linksys wireless
router" ... it also asked me to "connect to that router".

I succesfully connected to the router and navigated on the internet
for an hour. I even logged in to the router web admin interface,
using the default "admin" password.

The problem is that the router is not Chantal's one. I have NO IDEA
where is this router located. If it is within the neigborhood, how is
it possible for me to access it?? How does a wireless router control
the accesses from its clients???

Thanks,
EBL

wiz_jujube wrote:
> Yesterday, I went to my friend Chantal to help her with her new laptop
> (a Dell computer with an integrated wireless network card). After the
> first reboot, an icon poped up on the desktop, telling me that the
> integrated wireless network card had detected a "linksys wireless
> router" ... it also asked me to "connect to that router".
>
> I succesfully connected to the router and navigated on the internet
> for an hour. I even logged in to the router web admin interface,
> using the default "admin" password.
>
> The problem is that the router is not Chantal's one. I have NO IDEA
> where is this router located. If it is within the neigborhood, how is
> it possible for me to access it?? How does a wireless router control
> the accesses from its clients???
>
> Thanks,
> EBL
Apparently the neighbor has not used encryption to limit access and has
not changed the access code to the router. Uninformed users often do not
know they need to secure their networks and are unaware of how to do it.

(E-Mail Removed) (wiz_jujube) wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed) om:

> Yesterday, I went to my friend Chantal to help her with her new laptop
> (a Dell computer with an integrated wireless network card). After the
> first reboot, an icon poped up on the desktop, telling me that the
> integrated wireless network card had detected a "linksys wireless
> router" ... it also asked me to "connect to that router".
>
> I succesfully connected to the router and navigated on the internet
> for an hour. I even logged in to the router web admin interface,
> using the default "admin" password.
>
> The problem is that the router is not Chantal's one. I have NO IDEA
> where is this router located. If it is within the neigborhood, how is
> it possible for me to access it?? How does a wireless router control
> the accesses from its clients???
>
> Thanks,
> EBL
>

The user of the router should change the PSW from the default settings.

The user should change the SSID from the factory default settings, using
a sophisticated SSID and change it on a routine basis.

The user can disable the DHCP IP server on the router and use the
router's static IP(s). One can also change the router's device IP from
the default setting.

The user can set the DHCP IP(s) that can be issued to the number of
machines that are physically connected to the router. On a hijack of a
DHCP IP, I think that if on tried to obtain the IP while it's in use, the
O/S of the computer will notify on multiple usage issue of the IP. In
addition, the user's machine tried to logon to the network and all IP(s)
are in use, it will not be able to get a valid IP and it's a clear sign
that something is not right.

The user can review what machine NIC MAC(s) are being issued an IP, which
should be NIC MAC(s) that are in machines on his or her network, which is
being kept in the router's DHCP table.

The user can user a log viewer and review the routers logs for traffic to
and from the router by machines connected to it.

Some router's have a MAC filter feature for the wireless side that can be
used to filter what wireless NIC MAC(s) can access the wireless network.

Duane

Your friend, as well as your friends neighbour should secure the router /
wireless router / wireless access point:

http://www.whitehats.ca/main/members...cess_point.pdf


"wiz_jujube" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Yesterday, I went to my friend Chantal to help her with her new laptop
> (a Dell computer with an integrated wireless network card). After the
> first reboot, an icon poped up on the desktop, telling me that the
> integrated wireless network card had detected a "linksys wireless
> router" ... it also asked me to "connect to that router".
>
> I succesfully connected to the router and navigated on the internet
> for an hour. I even logged in to the router web admin interface,
> using the default "admin" password.
>
> The problem is that the router is not Chantal's one. I have NO IDEA
> where is this router located. If it is within the neigborhood, how is
> it possible for me to access it?? How does a wireless router control
> the accesses from its clients???
>
> Thanks,
> EBL

wiz_jujube wrote:

> Yesterday, I went to my friend Chantal to help her with her new laptop
> (a Dell computer with an integrated wireless network card). After the
> first reboot, an icon poped up on the desktop, telling me that the
> integrated wireless network card had detected a "linksys wireless
> router" ... it also asked me to "connect to that router".
>
> I succesfully connected to the router and navigated on the internet
> for an hour. I even logged in to the router web admin interface,
> using the default "admin" password.
>
> The problem is that the router is not Chantal's one. I have NO IDEA
> where is this router located. If it is within the neigborhood, how is
> it possible for me to access it?? How does a wireless router control
> the accesses from its clients???
>
> Thanks,
> EBL

And, if your neighbor left her back door unlocked, would you walk in
and nose around in her 'fridge? Or, use her bathroom?

Come on, friend -- mind your manners.
--
Cheers, Bob

Duane Arnold wrote in part:
> The user should change the SSID from the factory default settings, using
> a sophisticated SSID and change it on a routine basis.
>

Changing SSID and or/turning off SSID beacon seem useless
given that when I added wireless cards to a couple of laptops
in my home, they promptly found the network anyway...

Encryption and locking down MAC addresses seems to be the only
way to go, but I'm fairly newbie at this.

--
Clem
"If you push something hard enough, it will fall over."
- Fudd's first law of opposition

"Mr. Uh Clem" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:404229E6.241D1A51
@DutchElmSt.invalid:

> Duane Arnold wrote in part:
>> The user should change the SSID from the factory default settings,
using
>> a sophisticated SSID and change it on a routine basis.
>>
>
> Changing SSID and or/turning off SSID beacon seem useless
> given that when I added wireless cards to a couple of laptops
> in my home, they promptly found the network anyway...
>
> Encryption and locking down MAC addresses seems to be the only
> way to go, but I'm fairly newbie at this.
>

Encryption doesn't mean a whole lot as well as it only stops someone from
eavesdropping on the wireless air waves. If someone cracks that code,
it's over and the traffic can be examined and exploited. It doesn't mean
that someone cannot exploited the wireless network and preventing someone
in using the router on their behalf.

I know that you cannot acces the router if the SSID(s) between the router
and NIC do not matched. I do know that the SSID can be cracked as well
and that's why changes it on a routine basis. You should change the EP or
WAP on a routine basis as well.

Duane

"Bob Willard" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gLp0c.86944$4o.108735@attbi_s52...
> wiz_jujube wrote:
>
> > Yesterday, I went to my friend Chantal to help her with her new laptop
> > (a Dell computer with an integrated wireless network card). After the
> > first reboot, an icon poped up on the desktop, telling me that the
> > integrated wireless network card had detected a "linksys wireless
> > router" ... it also asked me to "connect to that router".
> >
> > I succesfully connected to the router and navigated on the internet
> > for an hour. I even logged in to the router web admin interface,
> > using the default "admin" password.
> >
> > The problem is that the router is not Chantal's one. I have NO IDEA
> > where is this router located. If it is within the neigborhood, how is
> > it possible for me to access it?? How does a wireless router control
> > the accesses from its clients???
> >
> > Thanks,
> > EBL
>
> And, if your neighbor left her back door unlocked, would you walk in
> and nose around in her 'fridge? Or, use her bathroom?
>
No, the neighbour has left their possessions all around the neighbourhood
and expects everyone to be trusted and to not to touch them. They also have
no lock, because there is no door, they are unaware that these items exist
and what they are used for, due to their ignorance and stupidity.


-KENT

(E-Mail Removed) (wiz_jujube) wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed) om:

> Yesterday, I went to my friend Chantal to help her with her new laptop
> (a Dell computer with an integrated wireless network card). After the
> first reboot, an icon poped up on the desktop, telling me that the
> integrated wireless network card had detected a "linksys wireless
> router" ... it also asked me to "connect to that router".
>
> I succesfully connected to the router and navigated on the internet
> for an hour. I even logged in to the router web admin interface,
> using the default "admin" password.
>
> The problem is that the router is not Chantal's one. I have NO IDEA
> where is this router located. If it is within the neigborhood, how is
> it possible for me to access it?? How does a wireless router control
> the accesses from its clients???
>
> Thanks,
> EBL
>

I would also try to help the person, by dropping a hint some kind of way.
It doesn't mean you turn dog because you can.

Duane

Duane Arnold <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>The user should change the SSID from the factory default settings, using
>a sophisticated SSID and change it on a routine basis.

Why a frequently changed, sophisticated SSID? What possible help could
this be? I would rather recommend that they use an SSID that includes
some obvious location information like "1TrinityRd" At least then it
would be easier to find the owner.

--
Julian Bond Email&MSM: julian.bond at voidstar.com
Webmaster: http://www.ecademy.com/
Personal WebLog: http://www.voidstar.com/
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