spectrum48k

Those creative ruskies are using the latest GPU's in graphics cards to accelerate the cracking of wireless networks. Not WEP anymore - that's old hat as we know. Now its WPA and WPA2!!

The latest graphics cards have been used to break Wi-Fi encryption far quicker than was previously possible. Some security consultants are already suggesting the development blows Wi-Fi security out of the water and that corporations ought to apply tighter VPN controls, or abandon wireless networks altogether, in response.

Russian firm ElcomSoft has applied GPU acceleration technology to its password recovery tool to allow PCs or servers running supported NVIDIA video cards to break Wi-Fi encryption up to 100 times faster than is possible by using conventional microprocessors. Recovery times for Wi-Fi keys are increased by a factor between 10 to 15 in the use of Elcomsoft Distributed Password Recovery in combination with a regular laptop featuring NVIDIA GeForce 8800M or 9800M series GPUs.

By running the same software on a desktop with two or more NVIDIA GTX 280 boards installed, this figure increases to a factor of 100.

We've known for years that the previous generation of wireless encryption, WEP, was vulnerable to brute force attack. The infamous compromise of TJX, which resulted in the compromise of at least 45.7m credit card records, has been traced back to a hack in a weak security retail network with older point of sale terminals running WEP.

Elcomsoft advance makes WPA and WPA2 encryption open to attack. In fact, the software is specifically designed to support "passport recovery" on Wi-Fi networks running either WPA or the newer WPA2 encryption.

The software needs to intercept only a few packets in order to perform a brute force attack, where a huge number of possible passwords are tried in an attempt to stumble upon the correct code. ElcomSoft positions the tool as a means of auditing corporate Wi-Fi networks for inappropriately weak passwords.

The firm is also marketing its technology to forensic and government agencies, as well as data and password recovery services.

The raw horsepower of graphics chips, normally used as 3D graphic accelerators by gamers, can also be applied for a variety of other number-crunching password-breaking uses beyond uncovering WiFi passwords. Elcomsoft Distributed Password Recovery can also be used to recover Windows startup passwords, crack MD5 hashes, and unlock password-protected documents created by Microsoft Office or PDF files created by Adobe Acrobat, according to ElcomSoft.

source:
Turbo-charged wireless hacks threaten networks ? The Register

mike1210

Interesting, I wonder how long though for WPA2 and a password as below

,vZ@emwN,zp=\TM@xDSF!ZyLAefFq__ZpdO8g&.C?R-(7x-Z.(SV]C+4nKcC>x]

I'm guessing that would still take a very long time but for most pre-setup routers the keys are nowhere near that complex

billythekid

You want to have seen what a PS3 could do before they made them change the setup so you could not (as easily) hack the chips and use them for nasty things...

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

wonder what a dual nvidia in sli mode would do (4 gpu's)