Every Wi-Fi network can be hacked, claims Belgian researcher

All Wi-Fi networks are vulnerable to hacking after serious weaknesses in WPA2 were discovered by security researchers.

According to a post on KrackAttacks.com, an attacker within range of a victim can use key reinstallation attacks (KRACKs) to exploit security flaws in WPA2 - a protocol that secures all modern protected Wi-Fi networks - and read information that was previously assumed to be safely encrypted.

Attackers can then go on to steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, photos and other sensitive personal information.

The post - written by Mathy Vanhoef from KU Leuven, Belgium’s highest-ranked university - insists that the approach works against all modern protected Wi-Fi networks, and depending on the network configuration, it is also possible to inject data such as ransomware or other malware into websites.

It goes on to stress that ‘if your device supports Wi-Fi, it is most likely affected’.

A full demonstration of a proof-of-concept attack can be seen at https://www.krackattacks.com/