7. WLAN Authentication & Roaming Flashcards
What are the three parties of the 802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
- Supplicant (client device/sw on it)
- Authenticator - network device (ethernet switch or WAP)
- Authentication server - host running sw supporting RADIUS & EAP Protocols
What are the stages of authentication for 802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
- Initialisation
- Initiation
- Negotiation
- Authentication
802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
Initialisation
New supplicant detected
Port on the switch (authenticator) is enabled to ‘unauthorised’ state where only 802.1x traffic is allowed
Other traffic; IP, TCP, UDP is dropped
802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
Initiation
Authenticator periodically transmits EAP-Request Identity frames to a special Layer 2 address on the local network segment. Supplicant listens on this address and when it receives EAP-Request Id frame, responds with EAP-Response Identity frame containing user ID. Authenticator encapsulates the ID response in a RADIUS Access-Request packet & fwds to authentication server. Supplicant can also initiate or restart auth by sending EAPOL-Start frame to authenticator…
EAP
Extensible Authentication Protocol
Authentication framework, it only defines message formats
EAP over LANs (EAPOL) from host to AP
EAP over RADIUS from AP to Auth Server
802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
Negotiation
Authentication server sends a reply to authenticator, containing an EAP Request, specifying the EAP Method (Type of EAP based authentication it wants the supplicant to perform).
The authenticator encapsulates the EAP Request in an EAPOL frame and sends to supplicant, who can start using the requested EAP method or do NAK (Negative Acknowledgement) and respond with the EAP Method it is willing to perform.
802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
Authentication
In authentication server and supplicant agree on EAP Method, requests & responses are sent btwn them, translated by the authenticator, till server responds with an EAP Success or EAP Failure. If ok, authenticator sets post to authorised state and normal traffic ok,. When supplicant logs off, authenticator sets port to unauthorised again
802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
Advantages
- Prevents local abuse within the hotspot (controls access to Layer 2)
- No IP address used/consumed till device authenticates
- Supports periodic re-authentication
- Provides encryption of traffic
(WPA2 enterprise mode) - Credentials can be cached
- Supports IPv6 access control as its Layer 2
802.1x - Network Layer Access Control
Disadvantages
- Requires special supplicant software
- RADIUS server must support EAP
- A more complex solution for users to deploy, understand and troubleshoot
(but once configured properly, simple to use)
WPA2 standard of the wifi 802.11i
specifies security mechanisms for wireless networks
Deprecates the broken WEP with
Wi-Fi Protected Access or Robust Security Network
Uses Advanced Encyption Standard (AES) block cipher
WEP
Wired Equivalent Privacy
WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access
2002
Minimum 802.11i support required
Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) encryption
WPA ‘personal’
Uses pre-shared key
- strong if passphrase strong
- possible traffic injection vulnerability due to TKIP flaw
WPA2
Has all the mandatory 802.11i support
- includes Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) which is recommended in place of TKIP
WPA/WPA2 ‘Enterprise’
Used with 802.1X port based authentication