Wi-Peep - Discovery of new security loophole

Everyday development in technology is achieving great heights. It is helping all the sectors for increasing efficiency in their work. Technology has applications in fields ranging from healthcare to security. Technology has made advancements all over the world.

Keywords: technology, WiFi, Wi-Peep, network, messages, drone, loophole

In a new research, a research team based out of the University of Waterloo has developed a drone-powered device. The researchers have named this device as Wi-Peep. It can see through walls using WiFi networks. It can fly near a building and then use the WiFi network to identify and for locating all WiFi-enabled devices. It can locate the devices in a matter of seconds.

The Wi-Peep exploits a loophole called polite WiFi. Due to this device, smart devices will automatically respond to contact attempts from any device within the network even if the network is password protected. The Wi-Peep sends several messages to a device as it flies. It then measures the response time. It creates a way to identify the device's location within a meter.

Dr. Ali Abedi, an adjunct professor of computer science at Waterloo is the pioneer of this research. He said, " The Wi-Peep devices are like lights in the visible spectrum, and the walls are like glass. Using similar technology, one could track the movements of security guards inside a bank by following the location of their phones or smartwatches. Likewise, a thief could identify the location and type of smart devices in a home, including security cameras, laptops, and smart TVs, to find a good candidate for a break-in. In addition, the device's operation via drone means that it can be used quickly and remotely without much chance of the user being detected".

Earlier scientists have explored WiFi security vulnerability in the past that made use of bulky and expensive devices. But, Wi-Peep is easily accessible and transportable. The team of researchers built it using a store-bought drone. It required $20 for hardware.

The team of researchers built the Wi-Peep to test their theory. They realized that anyone with the right expertise can easily create a similar device. On this, Dr. Abedi said, "As soon as the Polite WiFi loophole was discovered, we realized this kind of attack was possible. On a fundamental level, we need to fix the Polite WiFi loophole so that our devices do not respond to strangers. We hope our work will inform the design of next-generation protocols".

The Wi-Peep is a great development in terms of network technology. It will surely help the current and future generations working with WiFi networks.