Cisco’s wireless LANs could be open to a ‘SkyJack’

published 26 August 2009

Some Cisco LAN (Local Area Network) devices have a vulnerability that could allow a hacker to hit them with a Denial of Service (DoS) attack.

According to a Cisco alert, the flaw is due to the devices not having enough security for wireless access point association sequences.

An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious packets into the wireless network, where newly added access points are seeking controllers.

With the exploit the attacker could make the LAN device associate with a rogue' controller, preventing the device from servicing network clients and resulting in a DoS.

Security firm AirMagnet originally found the vulnerability, calling it SkyJacking'. It said that if the Cisco access point connected to the rogue' controller, it could lead outside an enterprise and therefore be under outside control.

"This same mechanism could be done intentionally by a hacker to purposely SkyJack access points and take control of an enterprise's access point," said the company.

However, Cisco replied that there was no risk of data loss or interception at the rogue access point or wireless LAN controller, and that a DoS would be the only problem.

The Cisco Lightweight Wireless Access Point 1100 and 1200 series devices are affected. Cisco said that software updates were not yet available.

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