UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, LIVERPOOL, UK. Just recently, a group of researchers have proven that WiFi networks can be easily infected with a virus. This means that a virus can be sent through WiFi just like an airborne cold virus which can easily spread between humans.
The virus which the researchers called “Chameleon” was used to simulate an attack. During the simulation, the virus was able to spread quickly in homes and business undetected. The virus was able to attack the WiFi network because it was neither protected by encryption nor password which made it easier to spread the virus among the network’s users.
The simulated virus attack was done in a laboratory setting in Belfast and London. The study proved that the “Chameleon” virus sent to through the unprotected WiFi network reacted just like an airborne virus. It travelled through the WiFi network using Access Points which connect homes and business WiFi networks. The bigger the population of the WiFi network, the quicker the virus is able to spread. That is because the Access Points are closer to each one. In a situation like this, the virus won’t have any difficulties spreading, even to networks connectable within a 10-50 meter radius.
Professor Alan Marshall from the University’s School of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and Electronics is one of the lead researchers working on the project. He said that the virus they simulated did not affect the performance of the network but was able to collect and gather information about all the other WiFi users who connected to it. That way, the virus can easily creep into the other WiFi Access Points that it could connect to and eventually infect it.
The “Chameleon” virus was able to avoid being detected by virus detection systems because most virus detection systems look for viruses that are present on the internet or in the computer being used. In this case, the “Chameleon” virus is only present in the WiFi network which explains why it is not being detected.
Now that “Chameleon” has proven that WiFi networks can be attacked by viruses, it will be easier to develop a new method that will identify one when it is present and to immediately take it off the system.
| Invention | Chameleon Virus |
|---|---|
| Organization | University of Liverpool |
| Researcher | Professor Alan Marshall & Team |
| Field(s) | computer, internet, virus, wifi, wifi networks |
| Further Information | http://phys.org/news/2014-02-scientists-contagious-airborne-wifi-virus.html |
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