It could, however I believe this to be a benign problem albeit
definitely viral in nature. It also appears that the latest wireless
hot fix from Microsoft addresses this problem -
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=917021
Ron Robinson
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
________________________________
From: David Warner [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 2:09 PM
To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] SSID of "Free Public WiFi"
If a computer were doing this, it could also be logging
sensitive data for exploitation.
At 02:55 PM 11/27/2006, you wrote:
I have been seeing the same SSID as well as several
others that are
continually showing up on our network. After further
investigation, and
some testing to verify, I have determined that it is
caused by wireless
profiles configured on a Windows computer.
I set up a test using a unique broadcast SSID on an
access point, then
connected to it with a WinXP box (which automatically
creates a wireless
profile for that SSID). I then shut down both the AP
and the WinXP
client. Using another wireless client I viewed
available wireless
networks, the unique SSID was not seen. I then turned
the WinXP box
back on, without connecting to any wireless network, and
there it was,
the unique SSID being broadcast as an Ad-Hoc network.
Turn off the XP
box and the SSID disappears, turn it back on and there
it is again. I
then removed the profile for that SSID from the XP box
and the Ad-Hoc
network never appeared again.
Ron Robinson
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----Original Message-----
From: Lee Badman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 1:18 PM
To: WIRELESS-LAN@LISTSERV.EDUCAUSE.EDU
Subject: [WIRELESS-LAN] SSID of "Free Public WiFi"
SSID: "Free Public WiFi"
Am seeing dozens and dozens of these on any given day as
detected by our
Cisco LWAPP system- all ad hoc. Internet searching digs
up articles like
this
http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1239995&page=1
and this
http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,16550092
With some speculation that some sort of malware is
opening a door to
the wired network through a given user's wireless
connection. Others say
that it's just something that got picked up travelling,
where the user
actually connected to some commercial hotspot with that
SSID...
Wondering if anyone is seeing this same noise on a large
scale, and
perhaps have done their own analysis on actual client
machines putting
it out there over the air?
This one sounds plausible, and may be the "real" answer-
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2006/09/free_public_wif.html
where it is a viral-spread condition, but not a virus.
But is amazing
how many of these are out there- over 40 right now that
I can see on our
network.
Curious in Syracuse-
Lee
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********** Participation and subscription information for this
EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at
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**********
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discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
