CVE-2017-13079 in WPA2
Summary
by MITRE
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) that supports IEEE 802.11w allows reinstallation of the Integrity Group Temporal Key (IGTK) during the four-way handshake, allowing an attacker within radio range to spoof frames from access points to clients.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-13079 represents a critical weakness in the Wi-Fi Protected Access security framework that affects both WPA and WPA2 implementations. This flaw specifically targets the four-way handshake mechanism used to establish secure communication between wireless access points and client devices, exploiting a fundamental weakness in how temporal keys are managed during the authentication process. The issue stems from the improper handling of the Integrity Group Temporal Key which is designed to protect management frames from tampering and replay attacks. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can force the reinstallation of the IGTK, effectively allowing them to manipulate and replay authenticated management frames.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the four-way handshake process where the attacker can capture and replay specific messages to induce the client device to reinstall the same integrity group temporal key. This reinstallation allows the attacker to decrypt and modify management frames that should be protected by the IGTK, enabling them to impersonate the access point and send forged frames to client devices. The attack requires the adversary to be within radio range of the targeted wireless network, making it a localized threat but one with significant impact. The vulnerability specifically affects implementations that support IEEE 802.11w, which provides protection against certain types of frame injection and replay attacks, but fails to properly handle key reinstallation scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple frame spoofing, as it undermines the fundamental security guarantees provided by WPA and WPA2 protocols. Client devices can be deceived into accepting forged management frames that appear legitimate, potentially leading to session hijacking, man-in-the-middle attacks, and unauthorized access to network resources. The ability to spoof frames from access points to clients creates a dangerous situation where legitimate network traffic can be intercepted, modified, or blocked entirely, while the compromised devices may not detect the malicious activity. This vulnerability directly violates the security principles of authentication and integrity that are core to wireless security protocols, and it can be leveraged to disrupt network operations, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access points within the network.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate exploitation and the underlying protocol design weakness. Network administrators should ensure that all wireless access points and client devices are updated with firmware and software patches that properly handle key reinstallation scenarios. The implementation of IEEE 802.11w should be enabled and properly configured to provide additional protection against frame injection attacks, though this standard alone does not prevent the specific reinstallation vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network monitoring solutions capable of detecting anomalous frame patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. From a security perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-310 and CWE-327 categories related to cryptographic weaknesses and improper key management, while the attack methodology corresponds to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under network sniffing and man-in-the-middle attack categories. The remediation process requires careful coordination between vendors and network operators to ensure comprehensive patch deployment across all affected devices.