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Wardriving

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Wardriving is an activity consisting of driving around with a laptop in one's vehicle, detecting Wi-Fi wireless networks. It is also known (as of 2002) as WiLDing(Wireless Lan Driving), originating with the Bay Area Wireless Users Group (BAWUG). It is similar to using a scanner for radio. Most wardrivers will use GPS devices to find the exact location of the network found and log it on a website. For better range, antennas are built or bought, and vary from omnidirectional to fully directional. Software for wardriving is freely available on the internet, notably, NetStumbler for Windows, MacStumbler for Macintosh, and Kismet for Linux.

Wardriving shares similarities to Wardialing in name only.

While some wardrivers do engage in malicious activity, the average wardriver is typically only out to log and collect information from the Access Points (AP's) they find while driving.

Less law-abiding 'wardrivers' search for open file servers from which to copy software or media files, or freely use high-speed Internet access while on the road, which is presumably illegal. Most wardrivers do not in fact use services without authorization.

Ethical Considerations

Wardriving is frequently pointed out as an example of questionable activity, but it should be noted that, from the point of view of the machines involved, everything is working exactly as designed: Wardriving software sends probes, and the access point responds per design. Most access points, when using default settings, are intended to provide wireless access to all whom request it. In this sense, those who set up access points without adding security measures are offering their connection (perhaps unintentionally) to the community.

Wireless Network Security

More security-conscious network operators may choose from a variety of security measures to limit access to their wireless network, including:

  • MAC address authentication in combination with discretionary DHCP server settings allow a user to set up an "allowed MAC address" list. Under this type of security, the access point will only give an IP Address to computers whose MAC address is on the list. Thus, the network administrator would obtain the valid MAC addresses from each of the potential clients in their network. Disadvantages to this method include the additional setup. Methods to defeat this type of security include MAC address spoofing, detailed on the MAC address page, whereby network traffic is observed, valid MACs are collected, and then used to obtain DHCP leases.
  • IPSec can be used to encrypt traffic between network nodes, reducing or eliminating the amount of Plain text information transmitted over the air. This security method addresses privacy concerns of wireless users, as it becomes much more difficult to observe their wireless activity. Difficulty of setting up IPSec is related to the brand of Access Point being used. Some access points may not offer IPSec at all, while others may require firmware updates before IPSec options are available. Methods to defeat this type of security are computationally intensive, or rely on Social engineering to obtain information (keys, etc) about the IPSec installation.
  • WEP can be used on many Access Points without cumbersome setup, but offers little in the way of practical security. Flaws of this security method can be found on the linked wikipedia page. As such, use of WEP is discouraged in favor of other more robust security measures, however, many users feel that any security is better than none. In practice, this may simply mean your neighbors' non-WEP networks are more accessible targets.
  • VPN options such as OpenVPN can be the (respectively) most difficult to set up, but often provide the most flexible, extendable security, and as such are recommended for larger networks with many users.

See also

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