KRACK Attack - When WPA2 Was Not as Safe as We Thought

Source: Dev.to

Overview

• KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attack) is a Wi‑Fi vulnerability discovered in 2017.
• It exposed a flaw in the WPA2 security protocol.
• Attackers within range of a network could interfere with the Wi‑Fi connection process.
• This forced devices to reuse encryption keys.
• The attack did not require the Wi‑Fi password.

What this allowed

• Interception of Wi‑Fi traffic
• Reading sensitive data
• Modification of unencrypted traffic
• Higher risk for unpatched and legacy devices

Who was affected

• Mobile phones and laptops using WPA2
• Home and enterprise Wi‑Fi routers
• Devices connected to public Wi‑Fi networks

Current situation

• Security patches released after 2017 fixed the issue.
• Devices that never received updates may still be vulnerable.

Key takeaway

• Even strong security protocols can have design flaws.
• Regular updates and patching are essential.
• WPA3 offers stronger protection going forward.

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