Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v11) — Question 254

When configuring wireless on his home router, Javik disables SSID broadcast. He leaves authentication `open` but sets the SSID to a 32-character string of random letters and numbers.
What is an accurate assessment of this scenario from a security perspective?

Answer options

• A. Since the SSID is required in order to connect, the 32-character string is sufficient to prevent brute-force attacks.
• B. Disabling SSID broadcast prevents 802.11 beacons from being transmitted from the access point, resulting in a valid setup leveraging ג€security through obscurityג€.
• C. It is still possible for a hacker to connect to the network after sniffing the SSID from a successful wireless association.
• D. Javik's router is still vulnerable to wireless hacking attempts because the SSID broadcast setting can be enabled using a specially crafted packet sent to the hardware address of the access point.

Correct answer: C

Explanation

Option C is correct because even if the SSID is not broadcasted, it can still be discovered through active connections. The other options are misleading, as the length of the SSID does not prevent attacks, obscuring the SSID does not guarantee security, and simply disabling broadcasting does not prevent access through sniffing techniques.