Pace 5268 susceptible to KRACK wifi attack?

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10 posts Page 1 of 1
by mykmelez » Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:14 am
Is the Pace 5268 susceptible to the KRACK wifi attack? If so, is there anything we can do to mitigate the vulnerability until updated firmware is rolled out?
by FM_SF » Mon Oct 16, 2017 1:24 pm
I am also interested in knowing this. I assume that the Pace box is susceptible to Krack and would like to know what the path forward is. I see that Apple has already fixed this issue in upcoming betas. Any news from Pace?
by pandata » Mon Oct 16, 2017 1:56 pm
Here's a list of patched vendors: https://char.gd/blog/2017/wifi-has-been ... y-fixed-it

As of now, Pace (ARRIS) isn't listed.
by iandhd » Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:00 pm
Also interested in the outcome of this... Am I right to assume that firmware updates get automatically pushed to the router by Sonic Support?
by miken » Mon Oct 16, 2017 2:31 pm
The recently announced attack against WPA2 is actually an attack against WiFi clients, rather than the routers themselves, so it's client devices (e.g.your phone & laptop) that are in need of patches. At this point, it's my understanding that a device would only need a patch if it can act as both a wireless client *and* an access point (which our devices do not; they only act as access points and can't be clients).

You'll want to pay close attention to updates for your devices though. HTTPS and VPN look to be safe, so if you have any concerns you can use the free Sonic provided VPN until a patch for your device comes out: https://wiki.sonic.net/wiki/VPN_Service
Mike N.
Development Trainer
Sonic
by brent314 » Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:07 pm
Thanks for the clarification.

In terms of what counts as a "client": I have my PACE modem bridged and am using another (Netgear) router as my wired and wireless point of connection.

In this configuration, is the second router a "client"? I'm guessing it's not but would like to confirm.
by miken » Mon Oct 16, 2017 4:00 pm
brent314 wrote:In this configuration, is the second router a "client"? I'm guessing it's not but would like to confirm.
To have a router act as both an access point and a client requires additional configuration and not many modems support it - so unless you know that your access point doubles as a client because you set it up that way, you don't have anything to worry about on that end.
Mike N.
Development Trainer
Sonic
by oleg_kst » Mon Oct 16, 2017 5:01 pm
According to this https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/16/heres ... erability/, the router will also need to be patched...
by kykynest » Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:04 pm
(Pace now owned by) Arris: a spokesperson said the company is

Code: Select all

"committed to the security of our devices and safeguarding the millions of subscribers who use them," and is "evaluating" its portfolio. The company did not say when it will release any patches.
Source:http://www.zdnet.com/article/here-is-ev ... right-now/
by sysops » Mon Oct 16, 2017 7:16 pm
oleg_kst wrote:According to this redacted techcrunch url, the router will also need to be patched...
The authors of this article are just flat out wrong here. The page they link to even states as much by saying "Just patching your router won't get you out of trouble, sadly" and reference a tweet saying "Looks like router fixes aren't for the main issue. They're pushing fixes for the other issues in the paper. The critical one is a client patch."

The router manufacturers who have issued patches are largely in the wireless industry specifically and most of their routers are designed to work as both stations (access points like your router) and AP clients (devices that behave like wireless clients and connect to other wireless access points). It's the later case which is susceptible to the attack.

Since Sonic's gear act only as access points, no patch to them would fix any of the serious vulnerabilities affecting the clients.

The researcher who discovered the problem even states on his FAQ:

What if there are no security updates for my router?
Our main attack is against the 4-way handshake, and does not exploit access points, but instead targets clients. So it might be that your router does not require security updates. We strongly advise you to contact your vendor for more details. In general though, you can try to mitigate attacks against routers and access points by disabling client functionality (which is for example used in repeater modes) and disabling 802.11r (fast roaming). For ordinary home users, your priority should be updating clients such as laptops and smartphones.
Proud Sonic customer since 1999. Ask me about internet privacy, VPN, anonymity and security.
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