Wardriving

Wardriving is the systematic searches for Wireless Local Area Networks using a vehicle. The term is derived from War Dialing, a method to find means by trial many phone numbers open modem access. Some wardrivers see the three letters here as backronym for " Wireless Access Revolution".

Method

A classic wardrivers sitting with a laptop on the passenger seat (or with a passenger with notebook) in a car and feels networks. Often an external antenna in addition is used to increase the range. To find existing WLANs WLAN Sniffer is usually used, the data of found networks automatically logged, but does not, as is often alleged misleading, dials into a foreign network. So-called ' Beacons ' are small files that are sent from a router about 30 times per second to all units within range, and contain information such as ESSID, ie name of the network, BSSID, the MAC address of the router channel on the and sending the encryption key is used. For security reasons, this information is sometimes incorrect, so only one user can access this information with knowledge. These beacons are stored in conjunction with the GPS data.

In principle, however, any other means of transportation for the WLAN scanning can be used. Correspondingly, other names for this operation have been established in which the word part driving by another mode of transport to the respective matching verb is replaced. Warwalking example, describes the WLAN scanning on foot.

Similarly, you may not always get to use a notebook. Even for smart phones, PDAs, or the PlayStation Portable (abbreviated PSP) there is software to detect wireless networks. Moreover, there is now also specially designed, compact embedded products for the detection of wireless networks that are built even smaller than PDAs and thus less likely to attract attention accordingly.

Motivation

The simplest motivation is to want to go find an open internet for personal use. However, this is no longer about the actual wardriving in the sense of pure Kartographierens of WLANs.

Other war driving out of curiosity and make a hobby of it. They deal with WLAN technology and have a certain explorer engines.

Another motivation for wardriving can be to detect vulnerabilities in WLANs and to report to the operator. The focus is on the need to reduce the number of often involuntary or unnoticed left open WLANs. This may be particularly the operators themselves benefit, as under current law this can also be held liable if for any download criminally relevant content can be detected and the operator had the Wi-Fi confirmed to be at the material time unencrypted.

Finally, there is the criminal motivation to break into open wireless networks to steal data or use the network as a springboard for further attacks. Often there are crackers (also called black hats ) who act in this manner, while the extremely low level of risk are aware, to be tracked.

Characteristics

Since the discovery of open WLANs is a rather redundant activity, you went into the subculture of the Ward River soon to on, open and to identify known good reception points specifically for a descendant like-minded people.

One of the first methods here was the so-called Warchalking, ie the marking of receiving points using chalk or similar remedies.

The increasing cheapening of GPS receivers has now led to the Ward River also map the detected hot spots amplified by means of its own software. The resulting maps are partially made ​​accessible on the Internet as a kind of free service and updated again and again.

Unauthorized access

Measures to prevent the unauthorized Zugriffes result of wardriving different - apart from reducing the radio range - not much of measures against unauthorized access to wireless networks due to other means of information gathering.

Legal situation in Germany

When wardriving with motorized vehicles may be a violation of § 30 para 1 road traffic regulations exist if someone would be bothered by the " senseless wandering driving within built-up areas ". The mobile phone prohibition applies also, that the driver must not operate while driving the appropriate devices.