Gaining entry to a password-protected wireless network is no longer an intricate technical process reserved for the gifted. Today, with the right mix of tools and apps, one can quickly gain entry to any WiFi networks using only an Android device by taking advantage of known WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) vulnerabilities.
One Android app that caught our attention is WiFi WPS WPA Tester, currently available on Play Store.
WiFi WPS WPA Tester, as the name suggests, is supposedly a network testing tool that helps you secure your own wireless access point from WPS vulnerabilities. Think you have the most secured wireless network because of your long, unbreakable wifi password? Think again.
How To: Disconnect Other Wifi Users in A Wireless Network Using Your Phone (Without Them Knowing)
The trouble with most access points, your entry-level access point included, is that they likely have WPS enabled by default. Access points have standard 7-digits WPS PIN, which was recently discovered to have serious design flaw: it can be brute-forced with surprising ease.
And that makes it possible for wifi password cracking Android apps like WiFi WPS WPA Tester to uncover your wireless network passwords. By scanning all available WPS-enabled wireless networks and sifting through AP details such as MAC addresses, it can quickly calculate WPS PINs and brute-force your network.
Okay, enough for the technical side. Just see how this app works:
Hack Wifi Network without Rooting Your Android Device
As shown in the video above, you can hack WiFi on Android even without rooting your device by:
- Download and installing WiFi WPS WPA Tester
- Launching the app
- Tapping on Connect Automatic PIN
- In Choose Method dialog, select No Root
- And wait for a few seconds until wifi password is revealed
WiFi WPS WPA Tester certainly isn't the first of its kind that can hack wifi on Android without root. This category of apps can be both helpful and a curse.
Protecting Your Own Wireless Network Against WPS PIN Attacks
Now you've learned how your network can be compromised even by a first-grader with an Android device, now is the time to revisit and beef up your wireless network security. You are strongly encouraged to follow below's actions to spare your wifi network from this type of attack:
- Update your access point's firmware. This should be a pretty straight-forward process, normally available in access points Dashboard. All household access points comes with a manual showing how you to administer and update your firmwares. By updating your router's firmware, you get the latest protection including WPS vulnerability patches.
- Disable WPS. Read your device's manual how it's done or go to your manufacturer's website to learn more. Please note that any Android device can hack your wifi if you have WPS enabled.
- Set up MAC address filter. All network devices including laptops, iPhones and that offending Android phone are all identifiable with its unique MAC addresses. In your access point's dashboard, you can define access rules, allowing only certain MAC addresses to gain entry in your wireless network.
Few more network vulnerabilities may be sitting right there waiting to be discovered but it pays to take a proactive step to secure your network.
