Not all WiFi networks are reliable and connecting to one that is not can be a significant danger. They could steal your data, passwords, take you to fake pages… This happens in public places, such as a shopping center, airports, a restaurant… Hackers can create fake networks for people to connect and take advantage of crowded places . Can we detect fake wireless networks? We are going to show you a new program that they have created for detect fake WiFi networks around us.
The objective is none other than to prevent us from connecting to a WiFi that could be a problem. However, this does not mean that the networks that it detects as trustworthy really are, since they always there may be risks. Therefore, when you connect to the Internet in public places, it is a good idea to use a VPN to encrypt the connection.
Snappy, a program to detect fake WiFi
A group of security researchers have created this tool that they have called Snappy. Its mission is to detect unauthorized WiFi access points in open networks. It allows detecting false networks that could have been created to steal data from those who connect, without being aware of it.
A fake hotspot It can be anywhere, but especially they will be present in high-traffic areas. The examples that we have given, such as an airport, shopping center or restaurant, are some of the favorite places. However, you can find them in many more places.
But what exactly is up with these fake networks? The problem is that the attackers are going to control the network. That means they’re going to be able to capture the data that’s transferred. It is what is known as Man in the Middle attack. They will capture the information that you submit to a web page and this may include passwords as well. You can always see the devices connected to the WiFi and detect possible intruders.
Detect if a network is different
An attacker can create a network with the same name or SSID than another one you previously connected to. That first network may be legitimate, but cybercriminals are going to take advantage of it to create another similar one, but this time with the aim of stealing the data. What happen? The primary network, the legitimate one, has been saved to your device. If you are near another with the same name, it will connect automatically.
What Snappy does is compare If that access point that you have nearby is the same one that you connected to the other time or, on the contrary, it is a scam. In case it is a fake device, you will avoid exposing personal data and having problems. To do this, it analyzes certain parameters such as the Internet provider, the channel, the maximum power and other characteristics that can be differential in a router.
If these all match up, that means on paper it’s the same access point and there’s no danger. If that information changes, we could be facing a fake network that they have created with the same name just to steal data. This will make us alert and take measures to avoid falling into the trap.
For now it is a tool under development, which runs Python scripts. Android users need to use Pydroid, QPython or Termux, while iOS users will need to use Pythonista, Carnets or Juno. However, in the future they hope to be able to create an application that is more accessible to everyone and that is much simpler. You can find the source code uploaded to GitHub.
