[ISN] Transceiver Fingerprinting Improves Wireless Security

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Wed Sep 13 2006 - 23:07:30 PDT


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=== CONTENTS ===================================================

IN FOCUS: Transceiver Fingerprinting Improves Wireless Security

NEWS AND FEATURES
   - New Unpatched Vulnerability Affects Microsoft Word 2000
   - Cisco and Microsoft Team Up on Network Access Control
   - BrowserShield Defends Browsers at Network Borders
   - Recent Security Vulnerabilities

GIVE AND TAKE
   - Security Matters Blog: Browzar Bashing--Is It Warranted?
   - FAQ: 64-Bit Version of Group Policy Management Console
   - From the Forum: NTFS Permission in an Education Environment
   - Share Your Security Tips

PRODUCTS
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RESOURCES AND EVENTS

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=== IN FOCUS: Transceiver Fingerprinting Improves Wireless Security
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity / net

If you operate wireless networks, you know that media access control 
(MAC) address filtering is an unreliable way to prevent unwanted 
network access. The reasons are that it's relatively simple to spoof 
any MAC address and to collect MAC addresses from the airwaves. 

One technique used to improve on MAC filtering is to develop a 
fingerprint of the wireless network driver, which can help identify the 
wireless hardware by manufacturer. This approach works because each 
manufacturer develops its own driver behavior. The characteristics of 
that behavior can be tracked, identified, stored, and later matched 
when a wireless device is detected by an intrusion detection system 
(IDS) or authentication system. Other techniques involve actively or 
passively discovering wireless device model numbers, chipset model 
numbers, and OS versions. 

Jeyanthi Hall has explored a way to take wireless device fingerprinting 
even further. In her research, Hall discovered that each wireless 
network device has a unique frequency signal profile, which can be 
discovered as the device transmits over the airwaves. This holds true 
even for identical card models from the same manufacturer and even when 
those cards use exactly the same chipset. 

Therefore, a fingerprint can be developed that will match one specific 
physical device. Hall thinks that, based on her research, the only way 
such a fingerprint can be spoofed is to physically recreate all the 
characteristics of the circuits in the original device. In order to 
accomplish that task, the original device would be required, which 
implies that someone must first steal it. But in the case of a stolen 
device, the fingerprint could be blocked, hopefully before someone 
replicates the exact circuitry.

In practical use, transceiver fingerprint identification could be used 
in wireless intrusion detection and prevention systems and in 
authentication systems. What's more, transceiver fingerprinting isn't 
limited to Wi-Fi devices. Since Bluetooth technology is also based on 
radio transmissions, similar techniques could be used to guard 
Bluetooth connectivity. 

According to Hall's research (as published to date), transceiver 
fingerprinting is about 95 percent accurate. So there is room for 
error, which means that additional methods of protection might be 
necessary in some situations. 

One important issue to keep in mind about any radio transmitter is that 
as a device ages, its radio signal profile changes. Therefore, in order 
to maintain fingerprint accuracy, the fingerprint must be updated 
continually. This of course creates processing overhead and could pose 
significant hurdles in large wireless network installations. 
Regardless, the hurdles aren't insurmountable.

Hall has published two detailed white papers (one that covers Wi-Fi and 
one that covers Bluetooth) that describe her research and its potential 
applications. If you're interested in this technology, which very well 
might make its way into wireless security solutions, then be sure to 
read the papers. They're available at the first two URLs below in PDF 
format. If you're interested in other wireless security-related work 
published by Hall, then visit her site at Carleton University at the 
third URL below. 
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=== SECURITY NEWS AND FEATURES =================================

New Unpatched Vulnerability Affects Microsoft Word 2000
   Symantec reported the discovery of a new unpatched vulnerability 
that affects Microsoft Word 2000. The vulnerability could allow a 
remote intruder to install a Trojan horse that opens a back door on an 
affected system when a malicious document is opened. Exploits that take 
advantage of the vulnerability have been discovered circulating on the 
Internet.
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=38393:7EB890

Cisco and Microsoft Team Up on Network Access Control
   Cisco and Microsoft announced that their respective technologies, 
Cisco Network Admission Control (NAC) and Microsoft Network Access 
Protection (NAP), will be interoperable. Both technologies are designed 
to prevent computers from accessing a network unless they meet specific 
"health" checks. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=38392:7EB890

BrowserShield Defends Browsers at Network Borders
   Microsoft developed a prototype defense tool, BrowserShield, that 
can defend unpatched browsers by filtering and rewriting incoming Web 
content at network borders. 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=38394:7EB890

Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   If you subscribe to this newsletter, you also receive Security 
Alerts, which inform you about recently discovered security 
vulnerabilities. You can also find information about these 
discoveries at
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=38391:7EB890


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=== GIVE AND TAKE ==============================================

SECURITY MATTERS BLOG: Browzar Bashing--Is It Warranted?
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There's a lot of Browzar bashing going on, and most of it overlooks the 
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FAQ: 64-Bit Version of Group Policy Management Console
   by John Savill, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=3839B:7EB890 

Q: Where can I get the 64-bit version of Group Policy Management 
Console (GPMC)? 

Find the answer at
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FROM THE FORUM: NTFS Permission in an Education Environment 
   A forum participant is working on creating a way for teachers and 
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