University Research Report: Security Issues in WPA2 Protocol

This report delves into the security issues surrounding the WPA2 wireless protocol, a crucial component of modern Wi-Fi networks. It begins with an introduction to wireless protocols and WPA2, followed by a detailed examination of the vulnerabilities inherent in WPA2, including the KRACK attack. The report then explores methods for minimizing security threats and mitigating the identified issues. The methodology section outlines the research approach, design, and data collection process. Findings and analysis, focusing on qualitative aspects, are presented, leading to conclusions and recommendations for improving WPA2 security. The report emphasizes the importance of addressing these vulnerabilities to protect sensitive data transmitted over wireless networks and suggests further research directions to enhance overall wireless security.

Running head: SECURITY ISSUES IN WPA2
Security issues in wireless protocols:
A case study of WPA2
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Table of Contents
Part 2: Research paper report.....................................................................................................2
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................4
1.1Background of the topic........................................................................................................4
1.2Research aims and objectives................................................................................................5
1.3Research questions................................................................................................................5
1.4 Research rationale................................................................................................................5
Chapter 2: Literature review......................................................................................................7
2.1 Overview of the wireless protocols and WPA2...................................................................7
2.2 Vulnerabilities in WPA2......................................................................................................8
2.3 Minimizing Security Threats................................................................................................9
2.4 Approaches to mitigate the issues........................................................................................9
Chapter 3: Methodology..........................................................................................................11
3.1 Research methodology.......................................................................................................11
3.2 Research approach.............................................................................................................11
3.3 Research philosophy..........................................................................................................12
3.4 Research design..................................................................................................................13
3.5 Data collection process......................................................................................................13
3.6 Data analysis process.........................................................................................................13
3.7 Sample and sampling technique.........................................................................................14
3.8 Ethical issues......................................................................................................................14
Chapter 4: Findings and analysis.............................................................................................15
4.1 Qualitative analysis............................................................................................................15
Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations..........................................................................17
5.1 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................17
5.2 Recommendations..............................................................................................................17
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................18

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Part 2: Research paper report
Abstract
Without the need of a system, minimal effort and auto-oversaw, adaptable as well as low
power shopper, wireless communication is getting to be plainly developing innovation. It
demonstrates incredible fastener for present and additionally future hello there tech
applications. Expanding dependence on wireless communication additionally conveys
incredible difficulties to the safety efforts and other connected issues. In spite of the fact that
the recently presented rectified security standard, IEEE 802.11i, offers broad security for the
wireless condition yet it is as yet untimely and does not give viable measures to shield the
wireless systems from privacy and trustworthiness dangers. The objective of this paper is to
test the foremost security issues, difficulties and crucial security prerequisites of wireless
interchanges on the bases of their proposed arrangements.
Keywords: WPA2, KRACKs, Key Reinstallation Attacks

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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background of the topic
Wireless protocols are utilized as a part of numerous applications in society (Bartariya
& Rastogi, 2016). On the other hand, security researchers have discovered vulnerability in
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2. It is one of the types of encryption, which is utilized in order to
secure Wi-Fi networks. The particular network gives unique encryption keys for client
connected with wireless network. The WPA2 encryption scheme has been broken by leaving
connections of Wi-Fi open for future attackers that could utilize an attack in order to read
information. It is not believed to secure as it is encrypted. ‘KRACK’ or Key Reinstallation
Attack means third parties can eavesdrop on a particular network having private
conversations. It needs to be no longer in some of the circumstances so that private as Wi-Fi
traffic passing between computers as well as access points that could be picked up with the
help of cyber criminals within the range of Wi-Fi potential victim.
These limitations make security in wireless protocols a test. In this article we show a
review of security issues in wireless protocols (Jing et al. 2014). These issues are grouped
into five classes: cryptography, key administration, secure directing, secure information
accumulation, and interruption location. It is additionally brought up the open research issues
in each subarea and finish up with conceivable future research bearings on security in
wireless protocols. The vulnerability dubbed as KRACKs or Key Reinstallation Attacks,
which is considered as a set of several vulnerabilities. In addition, it cloud allow the attackers
intercepting as well as stealing data. Digital information over internet includes license
number of the devices, social security number and credit card numbers.

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1.2 Research aims and objectives
The research aims to find out the security issues associated with WPA2. Additionally,
the research will critically analyze the issues and based on that recommendations will be
provided to minimize the issues.
The research objectives are as followed.
 To find out the security issues involved with WPA2
 To critically analyze the security issues and find out the loop holes
 To recommend solutions to overcome the security issues in WPA2
1.3 Research questions
 What are the security issues involved with WPA2?
 How to overcome the security issues in WPA2?
1.4 Research rationale
As Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 becomes one of the types of encryption, it is important
to secure that. However, security analysts have found major vulnerability in WPA 2. There
are several weakness included in the Wi-Fi standard. Thus, users require updating the
products when security becomes available. On the other hand, it is needed to execute key
reinstallation. Additionally, the major attack is occurred in 4-way handshake of WPA2
protocol. It is usually executed while a client joins a protected Wi-Fi network. It is utilized in
order to confirm client as well as access point possess appropriate credentials. Presently,
modern protected Wi-Fi networks use the process. Hence, it becomes important to research
on the security issues involved with WPA2.
On the other hand, widespread as well as practical impact is considered as one of the
key reinstallation attacks against the type of attack. Moreover, adversaries can utilize the
attack for decrypting packets that are sent by the customers. The decryption of packets is

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possible as the reinstallation attack can cause transmit nonce to be reset in initial value. Thus,
it is critical to find the solution for mitigating the issue and leads to research on the same.

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Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Overview of the wireless protocols and WPA2
Productive design and usage of wireless sensor systems has turned into a important
segment of research (Kumar, Jain & Barwal, 2014). By systems administration substantial
quantities of small sensor hubs, it is conceivable to acquire information about physical
wonders that was troublesome or difficult to get in more regular ways. In the coming years,
as advances in small scale manufacture innovation permit the cost of assembling sensor hubs
to keep on dropping, expanding arrangements of wireless sensor systems are normal, with the
systems in the long run developing to huge quantities of hubs.
Potential applications for such expansive scale wireless sensor systems exist in an
assortment of fields, including restorative checking natural observing reconnaissance, home
security, military operations, and modern machine observing. In order to comprehend the
assortment of applications that can be bolstered by wireless sensor systems, consider the
accompanying two illustrations (Shabana et al. 2016). These are circulated all through a
territory, for example, a war zone. A reconnaissance application can be planned over this
sensor system to give data to an end-client about nature. In such a sensor arrange, movement
designs are many-to-one, where the activity can go from crude sensor information to
abnormal state portrayal of what is happening in nature, if information preparing is done
locally.
The application will have some nature of administration (QoS) necessities from the
sensor arrange, such as requiring a base rate sensor scope in a zone where a marvel is relied
upon to happen, or requiring a most extreme likelihood of missed location of an occasion
(Mejri et al. 2014). In the meantime, it is required to give this nature of administration to
quite a while (months or even years) utilizing the restricted assets of the system (e.g., sensor

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vitality and channel data transfer capacity) while requiring almost no outside mediation.
Meeting these objectives requires watchful outline of both the sensor equipment and the
system conventions.
An alternate application area that can influence utilization of wireless sensor to
arrange innovation can be found in the territory of medicinal observing (Mahmood, Javaid &
Razzaq, 2015). This field ranges from checking patients in the healing center utilizing
wireless sensors to evacuate the limitations of tying patients to enormous, cumbersome, wired
observing gadgets, to checking patients in mass setback circumstances. In these situations,
the sensors shift from smaller than normal, body-worn sensors to outer sensors, for example,
camcorders or situating gadgets.
2.2 Vulnerabilities in WPA2
Various security flaws in Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 protocol have been disclosed that
is exposed in wireless devices to KRACK as the proof of concept exploit. It compromises
encryption mechanism of WPA2. In includes manipulation as well as replaying cryptographic
messages (Gounaris, 2014). The procedure of establishing parameters for the systems as well
as devices is processed in order to communicate with each other.
On the other hand, it is used for securing Wi-Fi enabled devices as well as hardware
through authorization as well as encryption mechanisms. KRACK enable attackers to
eavesdrop on the traffic of network traversing between the particular device and access point
of Wi-Fi.
As per the statement of the researchers, there are 41% of android devices are
susceptible to several types of KRACK when Linux systems has an impact on this (Gounaris,
2014). The security flaws are designated with CVE identifiers that can be explained as
followed.

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CVE-2017-13081
CVE-2017-13080
CVE-2017-13082
CVE-2017-13079
CVE-2017-13084
2.3 Minimizing Security Threats
It is important to identify the issues included in WPA 2 in order to find out effective
solutions for these. The issues are as per the following:
•Present security plans for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs) are juvenile.
•There is no appropriate representation strategy display for wireless communications
•Security display for wired system not really compelling for wireless systems
•Compressed Real time Transport Protocol (CRTP) isn't fitting for wireless
connections that have a high and sporadic piece mistake rate (BER) (Cavallari et al. 2014).
•Inadequate security combination plot for heterogeneous systems.
•The current wireless brilliant home framework has go confinement issue.
2.4 Approaches to mitigate the issues
Security threats, vulnerabilities, battery control and inappropriate security models.
The research on security issues and difficulties in wireless correspondence involves execution
suggestions because of various components (Sen, 2013). The impacts of these components or
issue territories have been tended to by utilizing distinctive instruments, calculations, models,
recreations and plan alterations. These sub spaces and the methodologies or philosophies are
examined:

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Securing Wireless Network against Vulnerabilities
The IEEE 802.11i change has finished up to manage security issues in wireless
neighborhood yet real dangers like DoSthreats, insider threats and disconnected speculating
threats are still searched for thought. An enhanced confirmation component present can
defeat this obliviousness. This incorporated assurance for, invalid information outlines,
EAPOL outlines, administration outlines and additionally insurance from some crucial
DoSthreats, Offline speculating threats and insider threats (Mukherjee et al. 2014). This
validation instrument is additionally competent to enable stations to sort out themselves
naturally. In addition, as the vulnerability does not have any impact to the router of Wi-Fi
network, it is required to protect the password. The new vulnerability puts data at the risks
put data at risks as it affects the devices as well as Wi-Fi.

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Chapter 3: Methodology
3.1 Research methodology
In this section, the procedure for investigate is characterized to recognize the most
reasonable approach that can be embraced to secure the coveted outcomes and yields from
the specific research. Research approaches, certain hypotheses and ideas are received to have
better and more profound investigation on the chose subject for examine. The execution of
the exploration technique comprehends the method being received to break down the
different components that influence the subjective conclusion of the security issues lied in
wireless protocols.
3.2 Research approach
A research approach is required with the goal that the setup required coordinating the
investigation is revealed (Mackey & Gass, 2015). A particular investigation subject can be
endeavoured for contemplate in two wide techniques for either deductive or inductive.
Inductive approach is an investigation that associates in thinking about a research moment
that enough data on the blessed one isn't available. The basic time of inductive philosophy is
discernment that helpers in expanding noteworthy information and develops the method for
the research in like way.
Regardless that inductive approach fills the need of new theory working for any
subject. However, deductive approach is used as a method that portrays the sensible
utilization of the theories focused on to get to substance of the research paper. Deductive
procedure hopes to develop a theory with more points of interest and thoughts of data
research. Regardless, dependent upon the method for the research and research subject, the
assurance for investigation strategy is enhanced that can help in research of the point.

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In the present research, the subject will endeavour to consider the thoughts related to
gathering of security issues related to wireless protocols with the help of various theoretical
data. The distinctive segments associated with security issues related to wireless protocols
required a decision of philosophy that can help in understanding at a much correct and clear
way. In any case, inductive strategy fails to be executed in the present subject, as the pro
highlights no new thoughts or speculations.
3.3 Research philosophy
In a research approach, usage of research rationale helps in choosing the best possible
approach to increase inconspicuous components of an investigation point (Brinkmann, 2014).
On the other hand, research methodology for evaluating a particular point can vary so the
assurance of investigation of the research questions ought to be feasible and in authentic
game plan. The far reaching and normal sorts of epistemology that is a bit of approaches are
positivism, interpretivism and legitimacy.
Positivism as a subject of thinking associates being used of method of reasoning that
aides in inspecting the canvassed realities and information in an investigative way. However,
instructed by investigative system, positivism tries to rejects control so unobtrusive
component observation and picking up social event is engaged. Interpretivism as a technique
for epistemology support the possibility of complex structure required in a social universe of
business and organization works out. In the present research paper, positivism philosophy is
taken. Positivism as associated in the present setting helps in better research of the disguised
assurances and information related to the diverse parts security issues related to wireless
protocols. Besides that, nature of the investigation is time-limited so interpretative or
credibility considers was discarded quite recently like the choice of investigation
discernment.