New cloud hacking service steals Wi-Fi passwords
WPA Cracker can break passwords in just 20 minutes
By Robert McMillan | Computerworld US
Published: 10:53 GMT, 08 December 09
For US$34 (£20), a new cloud-based hacking service can crack a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) network password in just 20 minutes, its creator says.
The WPA Cracker service bills itself as a useful tool for security auditors and penetration testers who want to know if they could break into certain types of WPA networks. It works because of a known vulnerability in Pre-shared Key (PSK) networks, usually used by home and small-business users.
To use the service, the tester submits a small "handshake" file that contains an initial back-and-forth communication between the WPA router and a PC. Based on that information, WPA Cracker can then tell whether the network seems vulnerable to this type of attack or not.
