Researchers uncover flaw that makes Wi-Fi vulnerable to hacks

An alert from US Department of Homeland Security Computer Emergency Response Team on Monday said the flaw could be used within range of Wi-Fi using the WPA2 protocol to hijack private communications

Cyber security watchdogs and researchers are issuing warnings over risks associated with a widely used system for securing Wi-Fi communications after the discovery of a flaw that could allow hackers to read information thought to be encrypted, or infect websites with malware.

An alert from the US Department of Homeland Security Computer Emergency Response Team on Monday said the flaw could be used within range of Wi-Fi using the WPA2 protocol to hijack private communications. It recommended installing vendor updates on affected products, such as routers provided by Cisco Systems or Juniper Networks.

Belgian researchers Mathy Vanhoef and Frank Piessens