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Wireless Forensics

Wireless Network Investigation and Analysis

What is Wireless Forensics?

Wireless Forensics: The process of capturing, analyzing, and investigating wireless network communications and devices to gather digital evidence for security incidents, legal proceedings, and forensic investigations.

RF Analysis: Radio frequency signal examination
Protocol Investigation: Wireless protocol forensics
Device Analysis: Wireless device examination
Traffic Monitoring: Wireless communication analysis

Wireless Technologies in Forensics

WiFi (IEEE 802.11)

802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards
2.4GHz and 5GHz bands
WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3 security
Enterprise and personal modes

Bluetooth

Classic Bluetooth
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
Pairing and bonding analysis
Profile-specific forensics

Cellular Networks

GSM, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G
IMSI and IMEI analysis
Cell tower triangulation
SIM card forensics

IoT Protocols

ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4)
Z-Wave
LoRaWAN
NFC and RFID

WiFi Forensics Process

Investigation Phases:

Site Survey: Map wireless networks and coverage
Passive Monitoring: Capture wireless traffic
Active Analysis: Probe networks and devices
Protocol Analysis: Examine 802.11 frame structures
Decryption: Break or bypass wireless encryption
Evidence Correlation: Link wireless and wired evidence

WiFi Frame Analysis: • Management Frames - Beacon, Probe, Association • Control Frames - RTS, CTS, ACK • Data Frames - Actual data transmission • Each frame contains MAC addresses, timestamps, signal strength

Wireless Traffic Capture

Capture Requirements:

Monitor Mode: Wireless adapter in promiscuous mode
Channel Hopping: Scan across all available channels
Antenna Positioning: Optimal signal reception placement
Multiple Adapters: Simultaneous multi-channel capture
Timing Synchronization: Accurate timestamp correlation

Hardware Requirements

Compatible wireless adapters
External antennas
RF spectrum analyzers
Portable capture systems

Software Tools

Wireshark for packet analysis
Kismet for network detection
Aircrack-ng suite
CommView for WiFi

Wireless Security Analysis

Security Protocol Analysis: Examining wireless security implementations to identify vulnerabilities and security breaches.

WEP Analysis:

IV Collection: Gather initialization vectors
Statistical Attack: FMS and PTW attacks
Key Recovery: Extract WEP keys from captured data
Decryption: Decrypt captured WEP traffic

WPA/WPA2 Analysis:

4-Way Handshake: Capture authentication handshake
Dictionary Attack: Brute force pre-shared keys
PMK Recovery: Extract pairwise master keys
TKIP/CCMP Analysis: Examine encryption protocols

Rogue Access Point Detection

Detection Methods:

SSID Monitoring: Identify unknown network names
MAC Address Analysis: Track unauthorized devices
Signal Strength Mapping: Locate physical device positions
Beacon Frame Analysis: Examine broadcast patterns
OUI Lookup: Vendor identification through MAC prefixes

Rogue AP Indicators: • Unusual SSID names or patterns • Non-standard encryption settings • Unexpected signal strength variations • MAC address anomalies • Suspicious beacon intervals • Known attack tool signatures

Evil Twin Attack Investigation

Evil Twin: A fraudulent WiFi access point that mimics a legitimate network to intercept user credentials and data.

Investigation Techniques:

Signal Analysis: Compare signal strengths and coverage
MAC Address Tracking: Identify duplicate or similar MACs
Capability Comparison: Analyze supported features
Certificate Analysis: Examine HTTPS certificate anomalies
DNS Response Analysis: Detect DNS hijacking attempts

Evidence Collection:

Capture beacon frames from both networks
Document physical location differences
Record user connection attempts
Analyze captured credentials or data
Correlate with network infrastructure logs

Bluetooth Forensics

Bluetooth Classic

Device discovery and inquiry
Service discovery protocol (SDP)
Pairing and authentication
Profile-specific analysis

Bluetooth Low Energy

Advertisement packet analysis
GATT service enumeration
Connection parameter analysis
Energy consumption patterns

Bluetooth Forensic Tools: • Ubertooth One - Open source Bluetooth sniffer • HCI dumps - Host controller interface logs • Wireshark - Bluetooth packet analysis • Btscanner - Bluetooth device discovery • BlueZ - Linux Bluetooth protocol stack

Cellular Network Forensics

Cellular Forensics: Investigation of cellular network communications, including call detail records, location data, and network signaling.

Data Sources:

Call Detail Records (CDR): Call metadata and billing information
Location Area Updates: Device movement tracking
Cell Site Analysis: Tower coverage and capacity data
IMSI Catcher Detection: Rogue base station identification
Network Signaling: Control plane message analysis

Legal Considerations:

Warrant requirements for cellular data
Privacy regulations and compliance
Carrier cooperation procedures
International roaming data access
Real-time vs. historical data requests

IoT Device Forensics

IoT Forensic Challenges:

Protocol Diversity: Multiple wireless standards
Limited Processing: Constrained device capabilities
Encryption Implementation: Varied security levels
Cloud Integration: Remote data storage
Firmware Analysis: Embedded system examination

IoT Investigation Approach:

Device identification and inventory
Network communication analysis
Firmware extraction and analysis
Cloud service investigation
Mobile app analysis
Physical device examination

Wireless Forensic Tools

Network Discovery

Kismet: Wireless network detector
NetStumbler: Windows WiFi scanner
inSSIDer: WiFi network analyzer
WiFi Analyzer: Mobile spectrum analysis

Traffic Analysis

Wireshark: Protocol analyzer
CommView: Network monitor
OmniPeek: Enterprise analyzer
Capsa: Network analysis suite

Security Testing

Aircrack-ng: WiFi security auditing
Reaver: WPS PIN attack tool
Hashcat: Password recovery
Fern WiFi Cracker: GUI security tool

Specialized Hardware

WiFi Pineapple: Rogue AP testing
HackRF One: SDR transceiver
Ubertooth: Bluetooth sniffer
Proxmark3: RFID/NFC analyzer

Wireless Geolocation Analysis

Location Determination Methods:

Signal Strength Analysis: RSSI-based positioning
Triangulation: Multiple access point correlation
Wardriving Data: Geographic AP database matching
Cell Tower Analysis: Cellular location services
GPS Correlation: Satellite positioning integration

Location Evidence Value:

Establish presence at crime scenes
Track suspect movement patterns
Correlate timeline with other evidence
Identify meeting locations and contacts
Verify or contradict suspect statements

Wireless Signal Intelligence

RF Spectrum Analysis: • Frequency domain analysis • Signal power measurements • Modulation identification • Interference detection • Bandwidth utilization • Transmission patterns

SIGINT Applications:

Device Fingerprinting: Unique RF characteristics
Jamming Detection: Interference source identification
Protocol Analysis: Custom or modified protocols
Covert Channel Detection: Hidden communications
Transmission Power Analysis: Distance and coverage estimation

Wireless Evidence Preservation

Chain of Custody: Maintaining integrity of wireless evidence from capture through analysis and court presentation.

Preservation Requirements:

Time Synchronization: Accurate timestamps across captures
Geographic Documentation: Capture location recording
Equipment Calibration: Tool accuracy verification
Environmental Conditions: RF interference documentation
Capture Integrity: Hash verification of packet captures

Documentation Requirements:

Detailed equipment inventory and settings
Site survey maps and measurements
Capture session logs and parameters
Analysis methodology and tools used
Expert qualifications and certifications

Legal and Privacy Considerations

Legal Challenges:

Expectation of Privacy: Public vs. private wireless communications
Warrant Requirements: Legal authority for wireless monitoring
Cross-Border Issues: International wireless communications
Service Provider Cooperation: Carrier data access procedures
Real-time vs. Historical: Different legal standards apply

Best Practices:

Obtain proper legal authorization
Minimize collection of irrelevant data
Implement strong access controls
Follow data retention policies
Protect individual privacy rights

Wireless Forensics Challenges

Technical Challenges:

Encryption: Strong wireless security protocols
Signal Propagation: RF environment variability
Device Mobility: Moving targets and coverage
Protocol Complexity: Multiple wireless standards
Interference: Competing signals and noise

Operational Challenges:

Equipment cost and availability
Specialized expertise requirements
Time-sensitive evidence collection
Multi-jurisdiction coordination
Rapidly evolving technology

Future Trends and Technologies

Emerging Technologies:

5G Networks: New protocols and security models
WiFi 6/6E: Enhanced security and performance
Mesh Networks: Distributed wireless architectures
Edge Computing: Localized processing and storage
AI/ML Integration: Automated analysis and detection

Future Capabilities:

Real-time wireless threat detection
Automated protocol analysis
Enhanced geolocation accuracy
Cross-platform evidence correlation
Cloud-based forensic platforms

Key Takeaways

Critical Points:

Multi-Protocol Expertise: Understanding various wireless technologies
Specialized Equipment: Proper tools and hardware requirements
Legal Compliance: Understanding privacy and warrant requirements
Evidence Integrity: Maintaining chain of custody for RF evidence
Continuous Learning: Keeping pace with wireless technology evolution

Wireless Forensics Success: Combine technical expertise in RF technologies, proper legal authorization, and systematic investigation methods to effectively analyze wireless communications and gather admissible digital evidence.