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INFORMATIONAL
Network Working Group                                           S. KellyRequest for Comments: 5418                                Aruba NetworksCategory: Informational                                        T. Clancy                                                                     LTS                                                              March 2009Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP)Threat Analysis for IEEE 802.11 DeploymentsStatus of This Memo   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this   memo is unlimited.Copyright Notice   Copyright (c) 2009 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the   document authors.  All rights reserved.   This document is subject toBCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents in effect on the date of   publication of this document (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info).   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights   and restrictions with respect to this document.   This document may contain material from IETF Documents or IETF   Contributions published or made publicly available before November   10, 2008.  The person(s) controlling the copyright in some of this   material may not have granted the IETF Trust the right to allow   modifications of such material outside the IETF Standards Process.   Without obtaining an adequate license from the person(s) controlling   the copyright in such materials, this document may not be modified   outside the IETF Standards Process, and derivative works of it may   not be created outside the IETF Standards Process, except to format   it for publication as an RFC or to translate it into languages other   than English.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 1]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009Abstract   Early Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) deployments feature a "fat"   Access Point (AP), which serves as a stand-alone interface between   the wired and wireless network segments.  However, this model raises   scaling, mobility, and manageability issues, and the Control and   Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) protocol is meant to   address these issues.  CAPWAP effectively splits the fat AP   functionality into two network elements, and the communication   channel between these components may traverse potentially hostile   hops.  This document analyzes the security exposure resulting from   the introduction of CAPWAP and summarizes the associated security   considerations for IEEE 802.11-based CAPWAP implementations and   deployments.Table of Contents1. Introduction ....................................................41.1. Rationale for Limiting Analysis Scope to IEEE 802.11 .......51.2. Notations ..................................................62. Abbreviations and Definitions ...................................73. CAPWAP Security Goals for IEEE 802.11 Deployments ...............84. Overview of IEEE 802.11 and AAA Security ........................84.1. IEEE 802.11 Authentication and AAA .........................94.2. IEEE 802.11 Link Security .................................114.3. AAA Security ..............................................114.4. Cryptographic Bindings ....................................125. Structure of the Analysis ......................................136. Representative CAPWAP Deployment Scenarios .....................146.1. Preliminary Definitions ...................................146.1.1. Split MAC ..........................................156.1.2. Local MAC ..........................................156.1.3. Remote MAC .........................................156.1.4. Data Tunneling .....................................166.2. Example Scenarios .........................................166.2.1. Localized Modular Deployment .......................166.2.2. Internet Hotspot or Temporary Network ..............176.2.3. Distributed Deployments ............................186.2.3.1. Large Physically Contained Organization ...186.2.3.2. Campus Deployments ........................186.2.3.3. Branch Offices ............................186.2.3.4. Telecommuter or Remote Office .............197. General Adversary Capabilities .................................197.1. Passive versus Active Adversaries .........................208. Vulnerabilities Introduced by CAPWAP ...........................228.1. The Session Establishment Phase ...........................228.1.1. The Discovery Phase ................................228.1.2. Forming an Association (Joining) ...................23Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 2]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20098.2. The Connected Phase .......................................239. Adversary Goals in CAPWAP ......................................249.1. Eavesdrop on AC-WTP Traffic ...............................249.2. WTP Impersonation and/or Rootkit Installation .............259.3. AC Impersonation and/or Rootkit Installation ..............269.4. Other Goals or Sub-Goals ..................................2610. Countermeasures and Their Effects .............................2710.1. Communications Security Elements .........................2710.1.1. Mutual Authentication .............................2710.1.1.1. Authorization ............................2710.1.2. Data Origin Authentication ........................2910.1.3. Data Integrity Verification .......................2910.1.4. Anti-Replay .......................................2910.1.5. Confidentiality ...................................2910.2. Putting the Elements Together ............................3010.2.1. Control Channel Security ..........................3010.2.2. Data Channel Security .............................3011. Countermeasures Provided by DTLS ..............................3012. Issues Not Addressed By DTLS ..................................3112.1. DoS Attacks ..............................................3112.2. Passive Monitoring (Sniffing) ............................3212.3. Traffic Analysis .........................................3212.4. Active MitM Interference .................................3212.5. Other Active Attacks .....................................3213. Security Considerations .......................................3214. Acknowledgements ..............................................3215. References ....................................................3315.1. Normative References .....................................3315.2. Informative References ...................................33Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 3]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20091.  Introduction   Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) deployments are increasingly   common as the technology matures and wireless interface chips become   standard equipment in laptops and various hand-held computing   devices.  In the simplest deployments, WLAN access is entirely   provided by a wireless Access Point (AP), which bridges the client   system (station or "STA") and the Distribution System (DS) or wired   network.        +------+        |client|         +--------+     |        |(STA) |         | Access |     |    +------+        +------+ ) ) ) ) | Point  |-----|   /optional\    +-------+       /      /          +--------+     |--(    L3    )---|  AAA  |      +------+                          |   \ cloud  /    +-------+                                        |    +------+                  Figure 1: IEEE 802.11 Deployment Using RSN   In this architecture, the AP serves as a gatekeeper, facilitating   client access to the network.  Typically, the client must somehow   authenticate prior to being granted access, and in enterprise   deployments, this is frequently accomplished using [8021X].  When   using IEEE 802.11, this mode is called a Robust Security Network   (RSN) [80211I].  Here, the client is called the "supplicant", the AP   is the "authenticator", and either the AP or an external   Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server fulfill   the role of "authentication server", depending on the authentication   mechanism used.   From the perspective of the network administrator, the wired LAN to   which the AP is attached is typically considered to be more trusted   than the wireless LAN, either because there is some physical boundary   around the wired segment (i.e., the building walls), or because it is   otherwise secured somehow (perhaps cryptographically).  The AAA   server may reside within this same physical administrative domain, or   it may be remote.  Common AAA protocols are RADIUS [RFC3579] and   Diameter [RFC4072].   The CAPWAP protocol [RFC5415] modifies this architecture by splitting   the AP into two pieces, the Wireless Termination Point (WTP), and the   Access Controller (AC), and creating a communications link between   the two new components.  In this model, the WTP implements the WLAN   edge functions with respect to the user (wireless transmit/receive),   while the AC implements the wired-side edge functions.  For a   complete description of CAPWAP architecture, see [RFC4118].Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 4]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009     +------+    +==========================+     |client|    |           +---+          |   |    +------+     |(STA) |    | +-----+  /  L3 \  +----+ |   |   /optional\   +-----+     +------+ ) )|)| WTP |-( cloud )-| AC |-|---|--(    L3    )--| AAA |    /      /     | +-----+  \     /  +----+ |   |   \ cloud  /   +-----+   +------+      |           +---+          |   |    +------+                 +==========================+                    AP equivalence boundary               Figure 2: WLAN Deployment utilizing CAPWAP   For our purposes, it is useful to think of the entire CAPWAP system   as a sort of "AP equivalent", and the figure above illustrates this   concept.  With this model in mind, our ideal is to ensure that CAPWAP   introduces no vulnerabilities that aren't present in the original fat   AP scenario.  As we will see, this is not entirely possible, but from   a security perspective, we should nonetheless strive to achieve this   equivalence as nearly as we can.1.1.  Rationale for Limiting Analysis Scope to IEEE 802.11   Although CAPWAP derives from protocols that were designed explicitly   for management of IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs, it may also turn out to   be useful for managing other types of network device deployments,   wireless and otherwise.  This might lead one to conclude that a   single security analysis, except for minor per-binding variations,   might be sufficient.  However, based on a limited number of   additional related scenarios that have been described as likely   candidates for CAPWAP thus far, e.g., use with Radio Frequency   Identification (RFID) sensors, this does not seem to be a simple,   binary decision.   Contrasting RFID and IEEE 802.11 deployment scenarios, IEEE 802.11   users typically authenticate to some a back-end AAA server, and as a   result of that exchange, derive cryptographic keys that are used by   the STA and WTP to encrypt and authenticate over-air communications.   That is, the threat environment is such that the following typically   holds:   o  The user is not immediately trusted, and therefore must      authenticate.   o  The WTP is not immediately trusted, and therefore must indirectly      authenticate to the user via the AAA server.   o  The AAA server is not necessarily trusted, and therefore must      authenticate.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 5]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   o  The medium is not trusted, and therefore communications must be      secured.   RFID tags, on the other hand, typically do not have the same   authentication, confidentiality, and integrity requirements as the   principals in a WLAN deployment, and are not, generally speaking,   well suited to environments in which similar threats exist.  As a   result of the combination of WLAN security requirements and the   Medium Access Control (MAC)-splitting behavior that epitomizes the   IEEE 802.11 binding for CAPWAP, there are definite security-related   considerations in the WLAN case that simply do not exist for an RFID-   based adaptation of CAPWAP.   Now, there certainly are similarities and overlapping security   considerations that will apply to any CAPWAP deployment scenario.   For example, authentication of the AC for purposes of WTP device   management operations is probably always important.  Even so, the   threats to RFID are different enough to suggest the need for a   separate security analysis in that case.  For example, since RFID   tags commonly deployed today implement no over-air authentication,   integrity, or confidentiality mechanisms, the need for similar   mechanisms between the WTP and AC for RFID tag data communications is   not clearly indicated -- that is, the threats are different.   We have limited visibility into the varied ways in which CAPWAP might   be adapted in the future, although we may observe that it seems to   provide the basis for a generalized scalable provisioning protocol.   Given our currently limited view of the technologies for which it   might be used, it seems prudent to recognize that our current view is   colored by the IEEE 802.11 roots of the protocol, and make that   recognition explicit in our analysis.  If newly added bindings turn   out to be substantially similar to IEEE 802.11, then the associated   binding documents can simply reference this document in their   security considerations, while calling out any substantive   differences.  However, it does appear, based on our current limited   visibility, that per-binding threat analyses will be required.1.2.  Notations   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this   document are to be interpreted as described inRFC 2119 [RFC2119].Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 6]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20092.  Abbreviations and Definitions   o    AAA - Authentication Authorization and Accounting   o    AC - Access Controller   o    AES-CCMP - Advanced Encryption Standard - Counter-mode CBC MAC        Protocol   o    AP - (wireless) Access Point   o    CAPWAP - Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points   o    Cert - X509v3 Certificate   o    DIAMETER - proposed successor to RADIUS protocol (see below)   o    DoS - Denial of Service (attack)   o    DTLS - Datagram Transport Layer Security   o    EAP - Extensible Authentication Protocol   o    MitM - Man in the Middle   o    PMK - Pairwise Master Key   o    PSK - Pre-Shared Key   o    RADIUS - Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service   o    STA - (wireless) STAtion   o    TK - Transient Key   o    TKIP - Temporal Key Integrity Protocol   o    WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy   o    WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network   o    WTP - Wireless Termination PointKelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 7]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20093.  CAPWAP Security Goals for IEEE 802.11 Deployments   When deployed for use with IEEE 802.11, CAPWAP should avoid   introducing any system security degradation as compared to the fat AP   scenario.  However, by splitting the AP functions between the WTP and   AC, CAPWAP places potentially sensitive protocol interactions that   were previously internal to the AP onto the Layer 3 (L3) network   between the AC and WTP.  Therefore, the security properties of this   new system are dependent on the security properties of the   intervening network, as well as on the details of the split.   Since CAPWAP does not directly interact with over-air or AAA   protocols, these are mostly out of scope for this analysis.  That is,   we do not analyze the basic AAA or IEEE 802.11 security protocols   directly here, as CAPWAP does not modify these protocols in any way,   nor do they directly interact with CAPWAP.  However, by splitting AP   functionality, CAPWAP may expose security elements of these protocols   that would not otherwise be exposed.  In such cases, CAPWAP should   explicitly avoid degrading the security of these protocols in any way   when compared to the fat AP scenario.4.  Overview of IEEE 802.11 and AAA Security   While this document is not directly concerned with IEEE 802.11 or AAA   security, there are some subtle interactions introduced by CAPWAP,   and there will be related terminology we must touch on in discussing   these.  The following figure illustrates some of the complex   relationships between the various protocols, and illustrates where   CAPWAP sits:Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 8]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009                             +-----+  RADIUS/Diameter                             | AAA |<==============\\                             +-----+               ||                                |                  ||                    +-----------+------------+     ||                    |                        |     ||                 +-----+                  +----+   ||                 | AC  |                  | AC |<==//                 +-----+                  +----+              +---|  |---+             +---|  |---+              |          |             |          |              |          |             |  CAPWAP  |           +-----+    +-----+       +-----+    +-----+           | WTP |    | WTP |       | WTP |    | WTP |           +-----+    +-----+       +-----+    +-----+           ^                       ^^^          ^^                      ^^^  802.11i,          ^^                      ^^  802.1X, WPA,      +-----+              +-----+     WEP      | STA |              | STA |      +-----+              +-----+     /     /              /     /    +-----+              +-----+               Figure 3: CAPWAP Protocol Hierarchy   CAPWAP is being inserted between the 802.ll link security mechanism   and the authentication server communication, so to provide supporting   context, we give a very brief overview of IEEE 802.11 and AAA   security below.  It is very important to note that we only cover   those topics that are relevant to our discussion, so what follows is   not by any means exhaustive.  For more detailed coverage of IEEE   802.11-related security topics, see e.g., [80211SEC].4.1.  IEEE 802.11 Authentication and AAA   IEEE 802.11 provides for multiple methods of authentication prior to   granting access to the network.  In the simplest case, open   authentication is used, and this is equivalent to no authentication.   However, if IEEE 802.11 link security is to be provided, then some   sort of authentication is required in order to bootstrap the trust   relationship that underlies the associated key establishment process.   This authentication can be implemented through use of a shared   secret.  In such cases, the authentication may be implicitly tied to   the link security mechanism, (e.g., when Wired Equivalent Privacy   (WEP) is used with open authentication), or it may be explicit, e.g.,   when Wi-fi Protected Access is used with a Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK).Kelly & Clancy               Informational                      [Page 9]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   In other cases, authentication requires an explicit cryptographic   exchange, and this operation bootstraps link security.  In most such   cases, IEEE 802.1X is used in conjunction with the Extensible   Authentication Protocol [RFC3748] to authenticate either the client   or both the client and the authentication server.  This exchange   produces cryptographic keying material for use with IEEE 802.11   security mechanisms.   The resulting trust relationships are complex, as can be seen from   the following (simplified) figure:         /--------------------------------------------\         |                       TK (6)               | EAP Credentials,         V                  /--------------\          | PMK (3)      +------+              |  PSK/Cert(1) |          |      |client|              V              |          V      |(STA) |         +--------+     |    v     |  +-----+      +------+ ) ) ) ) |  WTP   |-----|  +----+  |--| AAA |     /      /          +--------+     |--| AC |--|  +-----+    +------+              ^           |  +----+  |      ^      ^  ^                |               ^  ^ (2,4)    |      |  |    PTK (7)     |               |  \----------/      |  \----------------/               |   Radius PSK,      \-----------------------------------/       PMK              4-Way Handshake (w/PMK) (5)                   Figure 4: Trust Relationships   The following describes each of the relationships:   1.  WTP and AC establish secure link   2.  AC establishes secure link with AAA server   3.  STA and AAA server conduct EAP, produce PMK   4.  AAA server pushes PMK to AC   5.  AC and STA conduct 4-way handshake (producing TK, among other       keys)   6.  AC pushes TK to WTP (if decentralized encryption is used)   7.  WTP/STA use TK for IEEE 802.11 link securityKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 10]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20094.2.  IEEE 802.11 Link Security   The current CAPWAP binding for IEEE 802.11 primarily supports the use   of IEEE 802.11i [80211I] security on the wireless link.  However,   since IEEE 802.11i does not prohibit the use of WEP for link   security, neither does CAPWAP.  Nonetheless, use of WEP with CAPWAP   is NOT RECOMMENDED.   If WEP is used with CAPWAP, the CAPWAP system will inherit all the   security problems associated with the use of WEP in any wireless   network.  In particular, 40-bit keys can be subject to brute-force   attacks, and statistical attacks can be used to crack session keys of   any length after enough packets have been collected [WEPSEC].  As of   late 2008, such attacks are trivial, and take mere seconds to   accomplish.   Newer link security mechanisms described in IEEE 802.11i, including   TKIP and AES-CCMP, significantly improve the security of wireless   networks.  It is strongly RECOMMENDED that CAPWAP only be used with   these newer techniques.   The only slight insecurity introduced by CAPWAP when using it with   IEEE 802.11i is the handling of the KeyRSC counter.  When performing   decentralized encryption, this value is maintained by the WTP, but   needed by the AC to perform the 4-way handshake.  The value used   during the handshake initializes the counter on the client.  In   CAPWAP, this value is initialized to zero, allowing the possibility   for replay attacks of broadcast traffic in the window between initial   authentication and the client receiving the first valid broadcast   packet from the WTP.  This slight window of attack has been   documented in [RFC5416].4.3.  AAA Security   CAPWAP has very little control over how AAA security is deployed, as   it's not directly bound to AAA as it is to IEEE 802.11.  As a result,   CAPWAP can only provide guidance on how to best secure the AAA   portions of a CAPWAP-enabled wireless network.   The AAA protocol is a term that refers to use of either RADIUS   [RFC3579] or Diameter [RFC4072] to transport EAP communications   between the authenticator and the AAA server.  Here the authenticator   is the AC, thus the AAA protocol secures the link between the AC and   AAA server.  Use of non-unique or low-entropy long-term credentials   to secure the AC-AAA link can severely impact the overall security of   a CAPWAP deployment, and consequently is NOT RECOMMENDED.  Each AC   should have a mutually authenticated link that provides robust dataKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 11]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   confidentiality and integrity.  The AAA protocols and keys used   SHOULD be consistent with the guidance in [RFC4962].   Since CAPWAP does not directly interact with AAA, it does not affect   the overall security of a AAA network.  In fact, by decreasing the   number of devices that communicate with the AAA server, we can   actually decrease its exposure and risk of attack.4.4.  Cryptographic Bindings   One key shortcoming of both the EAP and AAA models is that they are   inherently two-party models.  In CAPWAP deployments, we rely on a   variety of security associations when an IEEE 802.11 WLAN client   session is established.  These include:   o  WTP-AC (CAPWAP Authentication)   o  AC-AAA (AAA Authentication)   o  STA-AAA (EAP Method Execution)   o  STA-AC (AAA pushes keys to AC)   o  STA-WTP (AC pushes keys to WTP)   Each of these security associations involve a pairwise trust   relationship, and none result from a multi-party key agreement   protocol such as Kerberos.  In particular, just because an STA trusts   a AAA server who trusts an AC who trusts a WTP doesn't necessarily   mean that the STA should trust the WTP.  The WTP may be compromised   and using his credentials to maintain a trust relationship with an   AC, while advertising false information about the network to an STA.   Protection against attacks like these can be very difficult, while   maintaining scalable trust relationships with other entities in the   network.  Since multiple protocols are being used, multi-party keying   to derive end-to-end trust relationships is infeasible.   Since CAPWAP is a collection of pairwise trust relationships, in   order to claim CAPWAP is secure, we must believe in the transitivity   of these trust relationships.  Its hierarchal nature mitigates the   domino effect, but any compromised device in the hierarchy can affect   those below it in the hierarchy.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 12]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20095.  Structure of the Analysis   In order to conduct a comprehensive threat analysis, there are some   basic questions we must answer:   o  Exactly what are we trying to protect?   o  What are the risks?      *  What are the capabilities of would-be attackers?      *  What might be goals of would-be attackers?      *  What are the vulnerabilities or conditions they might attempt         to exploit?      *  For various attackers, what is the likelihood of attempting to         exploit a given vulnerability given the cost of the exploit         versus the value of attack?   o  What potential mitigation strategies are available to us?   o  What kinds of trade-offs do these mitigation strategies offer, and      do they introduce any new risks?   This is a very simplistic overview of what we must accomplish below,   but it should give some insight into the manner in which the   discussion proceeds.   As a preliminary, we describe some representative CAPWAP deployment   scenarios.  This helps to frame subsequent discussion, so that we   better understand what we are trying to protect.  Following this, we   describe a threat model in terms of adversary capabilities,   vulnerabilities introduced by the CAPWAP functionality split, and a   representative sampling of adversary goals.  Note that we do not   spend a lot of time speculating about specific attackers here, as   this is a very general analysis, and there are many different   circumstances under which a WLAN might be deployed.   Following the development of the general threat model, we describe   appropriate countermeasures, and discuss how these are implemented   through various means within the CAPWAP protocol.  Finally, we   discuss those issues that are not (or cannot be) completely   addressed, and we give recommendations for mitigating the resulting   exposure.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 13]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20096.  Representative CAPWAP Deployment Scenarios   In this section, we describe some representative CAPWAP deployment   scenarios, and in particular, those scenarios that have been taken   into consideration for the current CAPWAP protocol security design.   For clarity, we first provide some preliminary definitions, along   with descriptions of common deployment configurations that span   multiple scenarios.  Following this is a sampling of individual   deployment scenarios.6.1.  Preliminary Definitions   The IEEE 802.11 standard describes several frame types, and   variations in WLAN architectures dictate where these frame types   originate and/or terminate (i.e., at the WTP or AC).  There are three   basic IEEE 802.11 frame types currently defined:   o  Control: These are for managing the transmission medium (i.e., the      airwaves).  Examples include RTS, CTS, ACK, PS-POLL, CF-POLL, CF-      END, and CF-ACK.   o  Management: These are for managing access to the logical network,      as opposed to the physical medium.  Example functions include      association/disassociation, reassociation, deauthentication,      Beacons, and Probes.   o  Data: Transit data (network packets).   There are a number of other services provided by the WLAN   infrastructure, including these:   o  Packet distribution   o  Synchronization   o  Retransmissions   o  Transmission Rate Adaptation   o  Privacy/Confidentiality/Integrity (e.g., IEEE 802.11i)   The manner in which these (and other) services are divided among the   AC and WTP is collectively referred to in terms of "MAC-splitting"   characteristics.  We briefly describe various forms of MAC-splitting   below.  For further detail, see [RFC5415] and [RFC5416].Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 14]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20096.1.1.  Split MAC   Split MAC scenarios are characterized by the fact that some IEEE   802.11 MAC messages are processed by the WTP, while some are   processed by the AC.  For example, a Split MAC implementation might   divide IEEE 802.11 frame processing as follows:   WTP      *  Beacons      *  Probes      *  RTS, CTS, ACK, PS-POLL, CF-POLL,CF-END, CF-ACK   AC      *  Association/Reassociation/Disassociation      *  Authentication/Deauthentication      *  Key Management      *  IEEE 802.11 Link Security (WEP, TKIP, IEEE 802.11i)   The Split MAC model is not confined to any one particular deployment   scenario, as we'll see below, and vendors have considerable leeway in   choosing how to distribute the IEEE 802.11 functionality.6.1.2.  Local MAC   Local MAC scenarios are characterized by the fact that most IEEE   802.11 MAC messages are processed by the WTP.  Some IEE 802.11 MAC   frames must be forwarded to the AC (i.e., IEEE 802.11 Association   Request frames), but in general, the WTP manages the MAC   interactions.  Data frames may also be forwarded to the AC, but are   generally bridged locally.6.1.3.  Remote MAC   Remote MAC scenarios are characterized by the fact that all IEEE   802.11 MAC messages are forwarded to the AC.  The WTP does not   process any of these locally.  This model supports very lightweight   WTPs that need be little more than smart antennas.  While Remote MAC   scenarios are not addressed by the current IEEE 802.11 protocol   binding for CAPWAP, the description is included here for   completeness.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 15]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20096.1.4.  Data Tunneling   Regardless of the approach to MAC splitting, there is also the matter   of where user data packets are translated between wired and wireless   frame formats, i.e., where the bridging function occurs.  In some   cases, user data frames are tunneled back to the AC, and in others,   they are locally bridged by the WTP.  While one might expect Remote   MAC implementations to always tunnel data packets back to the AC, for   Local and Split MAC modes the decision is not so clear.  Also, it's   important to note that there are no rules or standards in place that   rigidly define these terms and associated handling.  Data tunneling   is further discussed for each scenario below.6.2.  Example Scenarios   In this section, we describe a number of example deployment   scenarios.  This is not meant to be an exhaustive enumeration;   rather, it is intended to give a general sense of how WLANs currently   are or may be deployed.  This will provide important context when we   discuss adversaries and threats in subsequent sections below.6.2.1.  Localized Modular Deployment   The localized modular model describes a WLAN that is deployed within   a single domain of control, typically within either a single building   or some otherwise physically contained area.  This would be typical   of a small to medium-sized organization.  In general, the LAN enjoys   some sort of physical security (e.g., it's within the confines of a   building for which access is somehow limited), although the actual   level of physical security is often far less than is assumed.   In such deployments, the WLAN is typically an extension of a wired   LAN.  However, its interface to the wired LAN can vary.  For example,   the interconnection between the WTPs and ACs can have its own wiring,   and its only connection to the LAN is via the AC's Distribution   System (DS) port(s).  In such cases, the WLAN frequently occupies its   own distinct addressing partition(s) in order to facilitate routing,   and the AC often acts as a forwarding element.   In other cases, the WTPs may be mingled with the existing LAN   elements, perhaps sharing address space, or perhaps somehow logically   isolated from other wired elements (e.g., by Virtual LAN).  Under   these circumstances, it is possible that traffic destined to/from the   WLAN is mixed with traffic to/from the LAN.   Localized deployments such as these could potentially choose any one   of the MAC-splitting scenarios, depending on the size of the   deployment, mobility requirements, and other considerations.  In manyKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 16]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   cases, any one of the various MAC-splitting approaches would be   sufficient.  This implies that user data may be bridged by either the   WTP or the AC.6.2.2.  Internet Hotspot or Temporary Network   The Internet hotspot scenario is representative of a more general   deployment model one might find at cafes, hotels, or airports.  It is   also quite similar to temporary WLANs, which are created for   conferences, conventions, and the like.  Some common characteristics   of these networks include the following:   o  Primary function is to provide Internet access   o  Authentication may be very weak   o  There frequently is no IEEE 802.11 link security   Sometimes, the Local MAC model is used.  In such cases, the AC may be   "in the clouds" (out on the Internet somewhere), and user data   traffic will typically be locally bridged, rather than tunneled back   to the AC.  Some IEEE 802.11 management traffic may be tunneled back   to the AC, but frequently the authentication consists in simply   knowing the Service Set Identifier (SSID) and perhaps a shared key   for use with WEP or WPA-PSK.   In other cases, a Split MAC model may be used.  This is more common   in airport and hotel scenarios, where users may have an account that   requires verification with some back-end infrastructure prior to   access.  In these cases, IEEE 802.11 management frames are tunneled   back to the AC (e.g., user authentication), and stronger IEEE 802.11   link security may be provided (e.g., RSN), but user data is still   typically locally bridged, as the primary goal is to provide Internet   access.   A third variation on this scenario entails tunneling user data   through a local AC in order to apply centralized policy.  For   example, in a hotel or airport scenario, there is no reason to   provide direct access between WLAN users (who typically are within a   private address space), and in fact, allowing such access might   invite various sorts of malicious behavior.  In such cases, tunneling   all user data back to the (local) AC provides a security choke point   at which policy may be applied to the traffic.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 17]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20096.2.3.  Distributed Deployments   The distributed deployment model describes a more complex WLAN   topology that features network segments that are typically somehow   spatially separated, although not necessarily so.  These segments   might be connected in a physically secure manner, or (if they are   widely separated) they might be connected across potentially hostile   hops.  Below we discuss several subgroups of this model.6.2.3.1.  Large Physically Contained Organization   One distributed deployment example involves a single large   organization that is physically contained, typically within one large   building.  The network might feature logically distinct (e.g., per-   department or per-floor) network segments, and in some cases, there   might be firewalls between the segments for access control.  In such   deployments, the AC is typically in a centralized datacenter, but   there might also be a hierarchy of ACs, with a master in the   datacenter, and subordinate ACs distributed among the network   segments.  Such deployments typically assume some level of physical   security for the network infrastructure.6.2.3.2.  Campus Deployments   Some large organizations have networks that span multiple buildings.   The interconnections between these buildings might be wired (e.g.,   underground cables), or might be wireless (e.g., a point-to-point   Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) link).  The interconnections may be   secured, but sometimes they are not.  The organization may be   providing outdoor wireless access to users, in which case some WTPs   will typically be located outdoors, and these may or may not be   within physically secure space.  For example, college campuses   frequently provide outdoor wireless access, and the associated WTPs   may simply be mounted on a light post.   For such deployments, ACs may be centrally located in a datacenter,   or they may be distributed.  User data traffic may be locally   bridged, but more frequently it is tunneled back to the AC, as this   facilitates mobility and centralized policy enforcement.6.2.3.3.  Branch Offices   A common deployment model entails an enterprise consisting of a   headquarters and one or more branch offices, with the branches   connected to the central HQ.  In some cases, the site-to-site   connection is via a private WAN link, and in others it is across theKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 18]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   Internet.  For connections crossing potentially hostile hops (e.g.,   the Internet), some sort of Virtual Private Network (VPN) is   typically employed as a protective measure.   In some simple branch office scenarios, there are only WTPs at the   remote site, and these are managed by a controller residing at the   central site.  In other cases, a branch site may have its own   subordinate controller, with the master controller again residing at   the central site.  In the first case, local bridging is often the   best choice for user data, due to latency and link capacity issues.   In the second case, traffic may be locally bridged by the WTPs, or it   may be forwarded to the local subordinate controller for centralized   policy enforcement.  The choice depends on many factors, including   local topology and security policy.6.2.3.4.  Telecommuter or Remote Office   It is becoming increasingly common to send WTPs home with employees   for use as a telecommuting solution.  While there are not yet any   standards or hard rules for how these work, a fairly typical   configuration provides Split MAC with all user data tunneled back to   the controller in the organization's datacenter so that the WTP is   essentially providing wireless VPN services.  These devices may in   some cases provide their own channel security (e.g., IPsec), but   alternative approaches are possible.  For example, there may be a   stand-alone VPN gateway between the WTP and the Internet, which   forwards all organization-bound traffic to the VPN gateway.   Similarly, it is becoming increasingly common for travelers to plug a   WTP into a hotel broadband connection.  While in many cases, these   WTPs are stand-alone fat APs, in some cases they are configured to   create a secure connection to a centralized controller back at   headquarters, essentially forming a VPN connection.  In such   scenarios, a Split MAC approach is typical, but split-tunneling may   also be supported (i.e., only data traffic destined for the   headquarters is tunneled back to the controller, with Internet-bound   traffic locally bridged).7.  General Adversary Capabilities   This section describes general capabilities we might expect an   adversary to have in various CAPWAP scenarios.  Obviously, it is   possible to limit what an adversary can do through various deployment   restrictions (e.g., provide strict physical security for the AC-WTP   link), but such restrictions are simply not always feasible.  ForKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 19]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   example, it is not possible to provide strict physical security for   various aspects of the telecommuter scenario.  Thus, we must consider   what capabilities an adversary might have in the worst case, and plan   accordingly.7.1.  Passive versus Active Adversaries   One way to classify adversaries is in terms of their ability to   interact with AC/WTP communications.  For example, a passive   adversary is one who can observe and perhaps record traffic, but   cannot interact with it.  They can "see" the traffic as it goes by,   but they cannot interfere in any way, and they cannot inject traffic   of their own.  Note that such an adversary does not necessarily see   all traffic -- they may miss portions of a communication, e.g.,   because some packets traverse a different path, or because the   network is so busy that the adversary can't keep up (and drops   packets as a result).   An active adversary, on the other hand, can directly interact with   the traffic in real-time.  There are two modes in which an active   adversary might operate:   Pass-by (or sniffer)      *  Can observe/record traffic      *  Can inject packets      *  Can replay packets      *  Can reflect packets (i.e., send duplicate packets to a         different destination, including the to the packet source)      *  Can cause redirection (e.g., via Address Resolution Protocol         (ARP)/DNS poisoning)   Inline (Man-in-the-Middle, or MitM)      *  Can observe/record traffic      *  Can inject packets      *  Can replay packets      *  Can reflect packets (with or without duplication)      *  Can delete packetsKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 20]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009      *  Can modify packets      *  Can delay packets   A passive adversary could be located anywhere along the path between   the AC and WTP, and is characterized by the fact that it only   listens:        +------+        |client|         +--------+     |        |(STA) |         |   WTP  |     |     +------+        +------+ ) ) ) ) |        |-----|    /        \    +------+       /      /          +--------+     |-x-( optional )---|  AC  |      +------+                          | |  \ cloud  /    +------+                                        | |   +------+                                          |                                          |  +-----------+                                          +--|  pass-by  |                                             |  listener |                                             +-----------+                     Figure 5: Passive Attacker   An active adversary may attach in the same manner as the passive   adversary (in which case it is in pass-by mode), or it may be lodged   directly in the path between the AC and WTP (inline mode):        +------+        |client|       +--------+   |        |(STA) |       |   WTP  |   | +------+    +------+        +------+ ) ) ) |        |---| |active|   /        \    +------+       /      /        +--------+   |-| MitM |--( optional )---|  AC  |      +------+                      | +------+   \ cloud  /    +------+                                    |             +------+               Figure 6: Active Man-in-the-Middle Attacker   If it is not inline, it can only observe and create traffic; if it is   inline, it can do whatever it wishes with the traffic it sees.   It is important to recognize that becoming a MitM does not   necessarily require physical insertion directly into the transmission   path.  Alternatively, the adversary can cause traffic to be diverted   to the MitM system, e.g., via ARP or DNS poisoning.  Hence, launching   an MitM attack is not so difficult as it might first appear.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 21]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20098.  Vulnerabilities Introduced by CAPWAP   In this section, we discuss vulnerabilities that arise as a result of   splitting the AP function across potentially hostile hops.  We   primarily consider network-based vulnerabilities, and while in   particular we do not address how an adversary might affect a physical   compromise of the WTP or AC, we do consider the potential effects of   such compromises with respect to CAPWAP and the operational changes   it introduces when compared to stand-alone AP deployments.   Functionally, we are interested in two general "states of being" with   respect to AC-WTP communications: the session establishment phase or   state, and the "connected" (or session established) state.  We   discuss each of these further below.  Also, it is important to note   that we first describe vulnerabilities assuming that the CAPWAP   communications lack security of any kind.  Later, we will evaluate   the protocol given the security mechanisms currently planned for   CAPWAP.8.1.  The Session Establishment Phase   The session establishment phase consists of two subordinate phases:   discovery, and association or joining.  These are treated   individually in the following sections.8.1.1.  The Discovery Phase   Discovery consists of an information exchange between the AC and WTP.   There are several potential areas of exposure:   Information Leakage:  During Discovery, information about the WTP and      AC hardware and software are exchanged, as well as information      about the AC's current operational state.  This could provide an      adversary with valuable insights.   DoS Potential:  During Discovery, there are several opportunities for      Denial of Service (DoS), beyond those inherently available to an      inline adversary.  For example, an adversary might respond to a      WTP more quickly than a valid AC, causing the WTP to attempt to      join with a non-existent AC, or one which is currently at maximum      load.   Redirection Potential:  There are multiple ways in which an adversary      might redirect a WTP during Discovery.  For example, the adversary      might pretend to be a valid AC, and entice the WTP to connect to      it.  Or, the adversary might instead cause the WTP to associateKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 22]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009      with the AC of the adversary's choosing, by posing as a DNS or      DHCP server, injecting a spoofed Discovery Response, or by      modifying valid AC responses.   Misdirection:  An adversary might mislead either the WTP or AC by      modifying the Discovery Request or Response in flight.  In this      way, the AC and/or WTP will have a false view of the other's      capabilities, and this might cause a change in the way they      interact (e.g., they might not use important features not      supported by earlier versions).8.1.2.  Forming an Association (Joining)   The association phase begins once the WTP has determined with which   AC it wishes to join.  There are several potential areas of exposure   during this phase:   Information Leakage:  During association, the adversary could glean      useful information about hardware, software, current      configuration, etc. that could be used in various ways.   DoS Potential:  During formation of a WTP-AC association, there are      several opportunities for Denial of Service (DoS), beyond those      inherently available to an inline adversary.  For example, the      adversary could flood the AC with connection setup requests.  Or,      it could respond to the WTP with invalid connection setup      responses, causing a connection reset.  An adversary with MitM      capability could delete critical session establishment packets.   Misdirection:  An adversary might mislead either the WTP or AC by      modifying the association request(s) or response(s) in flight.  In      this way, the AC and/or WTP will have an inaccurate view of the      other's capabilities, and this might cause a change in the way      they interact.   Some of these types of exposure are extremely difficult to prevent.   However, there are things we can do to mitigate the effects, as we   will see below.8.2.  The Connected Phase   Once the WTP and AC have established an association, the adversary's   attention will turn to the network connection.  If we assume a   passive adversary, the primary concern for established connections is   eavesdropping.  If we assume an active adversary, there are several   other potential areas of exposure:Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 23]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   Connection Hijacking:  An adversary may assume the identity of one      end of the connection and take over the conversation.  There are      numerous ways in which the true owner of the identity may be taken      off-line, including DoS or MitM attacks.   Eavesdropping:  An adversary may glean useful information from      knowledge of the contents of CAPWAP control and/or data traffic.   Modification of User Data:  An adversary with MitM capabilities could      modify, delete, or insert user data frames.   Modification of Control/Monitoring Messages:  An adversary with MitM      capability could modify control traffic such as statistics, status      information, etc. to create a false impression at the recipient.   Modification/Control of Configuration:  An adversary with MitM      capability could modify configuration messages to create      unexpected conditions at the recipient.  Likewise, if a WTP is      redirected during Discovery (or joining) and connects to an      adversary rather than an authorized AC, the adversary may exert      complete control over the WTPs configuration, including      potentially loading tainted WTP firmware.9.  Adversary Goals in CAPWAP   This section gives an sampling of potential adversary goals.  It is   not exhaustive, and makes no judgment as to the relative likelihood   or value of each individual goal.  Rather, it is meant to give some   idea of what is possible.  It is important to remember that clever   attacks often result when seemingly innocuous flaws or   vulnerabilities are combined in some non-intuitive way.  Hence, we   don't rule out some goal that, taken alone, might not seem to make   sense from an adversarial perspective.9.1.  Eavesdrop on AC-WTP Traffic   There are numerous reasons why an adversary might want to eavesdrop   on AC-WTP traffic.  For example, it allows for reconnaissance,   providing answers to the following questions:   o  Where are the ACs?   o  Where are the WTPs?   o  Who owns them?   o  Who manufactured them?Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 24]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   o  What version of firmware do they run?   o  What cryptographic capabilities do they have?   Similarly, snooping on tunneled data traffic might potentially reveal   a great deal about the network, including answers to the following:   o  Who's using the WLAN?   o  When, and for how long?   o  What addresses are they using?   o  What protocols are they using?   o  What over-the-air security are they using?   o  Who/What are they talking to?   Additionally, access to tunneled user data could allow the attacker   to see confidential information being exchanged by applications   (e.g., financial transactions).  An eavesdropper may gain access to   valuable information that either provides the basis for another   perhaps more sophisticated attack, or which has its own intrinsic   value.9.2.  WTP Impersonation and/or Rootkit Installation   An adversary might want to impersonate or control an authorized WTP   for many reasons, some of which we might realistically imagine today,   and perhaps others about which we have no clue at this point.   Examples we might reasonably imagine include the following:   o  to facilitate MitM attacks against WLAN users   o  to leak/inject or otherwise compromise WLAN data   o  to give an inaccurate view of the state of the WLAN   o  to gain access to a trusted channel to an AC, through which      various protocol attacks might be launched (e.g., hijack client      sessions from other WTPs)   o  to facilitate Denial-of-Service attacks against WLAN users or the      networkKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 25]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 20099.3.  AC Impersonation and/or Rootkit Installation   For reasons similar to the WTP impersonation discussed above, an   adversary might want to impersonate an authorized AC for many   reasons.  Examples we might reasonably imagine include the following:   o  to facilitate DoS attacks against WLANs   o  to facilitate MitM attacks against WLAN users   o  to intercept user mobility context from another AC (possibly      including security-sensitive information such as cryptographic      keys)   o  to facilitate selective control of one or more WTPs      *  modify WTP configuration      *  load tainted firmware onto WTP   o  to assist in controlling which AC associates with which WTP   o  to facilitate IEEE 802.11 association of unauthorized WLAN user(s)   o  to exploit inter-AC trust in order facilitate attacks on other ACs   In general, AC impersonation opens the door to a large measure of   control over the WLAN, and could be used as the foundation to many   other attacks.9.4.  Other Goals or Sub-Goals   There are many less concrete goals an adversary might have which,   taken alone, might not seem to have any purpose, but when combined   with other goals/attacks, might have very definite and undesirable   consequences.  Here are some examples:   o  cause CAPWAP de-association of WTP/AC   o  cause IEEE 802.11 de-association of authorized user   o  inject/modify/delete tunneled IEEE 802.11 user traffic      *  to interact with a specific application      *  to launch various attacks on WLAN user systemsKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 26]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009      *  to launch protocol fuzzing or other attacks on the AC that         bridges between IEEE 802.11 and 802.3 frame formats   o  control DNS responses   o  control DHCP/BOOTP responses   Anticipating all of the things an adversary might want to do is a   daunting task.  Part of the difficulty stems from the fact that we   are analyzing CAPWAP in a very general sense, rather than in a   specific deployment scenario with specific assets and very specific   adversary goals.  However, we have no choice but to take this   approach if we are to provide reasonably good security across the   board.10.  Countermeasures and Their Effects   In the previous sections, we described numerous vulnerabilities that   result from splitting the AP function in two, and also discussed a   number of adversary goals that could be realized by exploiting one or   more of those vulnerabilities.  In this section, we describe   countermeasures we can apply to mitigate the risks that come with the   introduction of CAPWAP into WLAN deployment scenarios.10.1.  Communications Security Elements10.1.1.  Mutual Authentication   Mutual authentication consists in each side proving its identity to   the other.  There are numerous authentication protocols that   accomplish this, typically using either a shared secret (e.g., a pre-   shared key) or by relying on a trusted third party (e.g., with   digital credentials such as X.509 certificates).   Strong mutual authentication accomplishes the following:   o  helps prevent AC/WTP impersonation   o  helps prevent MitM attacks   o  can be used to limit DoS attacks.10.1.1.1.  Authorization   While authentication consists in proving the identity of an entity,   authorization consists in determining whether that entity should have   access to some resource.  The current IEEE 802.11i CAPWAP protocol   binding takes a rather simplistic approach to authorization,Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 27]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   depending on the authentication method chosen.  If pre-shared keys   are used, authorization is broad and coarse: if the device knows the   pre-shared key, the device is "trusted", meaning the that it is   believed to be what it claims to be ( AC versus WTP), and it is   granted all privilege/access associated with that device class.   When using pre-shared keys, some granularity may be achieved by   creating classes, each with their own pre-shared key, but this still   has drawbacks.  For example, while possession of the key may suffice   to identify the device as a member of a given group or class, it   cannot be used to prove a device is either a WTP or an AC.  This   means the key can be abused, and those possessing the key can claim   to be either type of device.   When X.509v3 certificates are used for authentication, much more   granular authorization policies are possible.  Nonetheless, the   current IEEE 802.11i protocol binding remains simplistic in its   approach (though this may be addressed in future revisions).  As   currently defined, the X.509v3 certificates facilitate the following   authorization checks:   o  CommonName (CN): the CN contains the MAC address of the device; if      the relying party (AC or WTP) has a method for determining      "acceptability" of a given MAC address, this helps prevent AC/WTP      impersonation, MitM attacks, and may help in limiting DoS attacks   o  Extended Key Usage (EKU) key purpose ID bits: CAPWAP uses specific      key purpose ID bits (see [RFC5415] for more information) to      explicitly differentiate between an AC and a WTP.  If use of these      bits is strictly enforced, this segregates devices into AC versus      WTP classes, and assists in preventing AC/WTP impersonation, MitM      attacks, and may also help in limiting DoS attacks.  However, if      the id-kp-anyExtendedKeyUsage keyPurposeID is supported, this      mechanism may be on a par with pre-shared keys, as a rogue device      has the ability to claim it is either a WTP or AC, unless CN-based      access controls are employed in tandem.   It should be noted that certificate-based authorization and zero   configuration are not fully compatible.  Even if the WTPs and the ACs   are shipped with manufacturer-provided certificates, the WTPs need a   way to identify the correct AC is in this deployment (as opposed to   other ACs from the same vendor, purchased and controlled by an   adversary), and the AC needs to know which WTPs are part of this   deployment (as opposed to WTPs purchased and controlled by an   adversary).Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 28]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   The threat analysis in this document assumes that WTPs can identify   the correct AC, and the AC can identify the correct WTPs.  Analysis   of situations where either of these do not hold is beyond the scope   of this document.10.1.2.  Data Origin Authentication   Data origin authentication typically depends on first authenticating   the party at the other end of the channel, and then binding the   identity derived from that authentication process to the data origin   authentication process.  Data origin authentication primarily   prevents an attacker from injecting data into the communication   channel and pretending it was originated by a valid endpoint.  This   mitigates risk by preventing the following:   o  packet injection   o  connection hijacking   o  modification of control and/or user data   o  impersonation10.1.3.  Data Integrity Verification   Data integrity verification provides assurance that data has not been   altered in transit, and is another link in the trust chain beginning   from mutual authentication, extending to data origin authentication,   and ending with integrity verification.  This prevents the adversary   from undetectably modifying otherwise valid data while in transit.   It effectively prevents reflection and modification, and in some   cases may help to prevent re-ordering.10.1.4.  Anti-Replay   Anti-replay is somewhat self-explanatory: it prevents replay of valid   packets at a later time, or to a different recipient.  It may also   prevent limited re-ordering of packets.  It is typically accomplished   by assigning monotonically increasing sequence numbers to packets.10.1.5.  Confidentiality   Data confidentiality prevents eavesdropping by protecting data as it   passes over the network.  This is typically accomplished using   encryption.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 29]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 200910.2.  Putting the Elements Together   Above we described various security elements and their properties.   Below, we discuss combinations of these elements in terms of CAPWAP.10.2.1.  Control Channel Security   The CAPWAP control channel is used for forming an association between   a WTP and AC, and subsequently it allows the AC to provision and   monitor the WTP.  This channel is critical for the control,   management, and monitoring of the WLAN, and thus requires all of the   security elements described above.  With these elements in place, we   can effectively create a secure channel that mitigates almost all of   the vulnerabilities described above.10.2.2.  Data Channel Security   The CAPWAP data channel contains some IEEE 802.11 management traffic   including association/disassociation, reassociation, and   deauthentication.  It also may contain potentially sensitive user   data.  If we assume that threats to this channel exist (i.e., it   traverses potentially hostile hops), then providing strong mutual   authentication coupled with data origin/integrity verification would   prevent an adversary from injecting and/or modifying transit data, or   impersonating a valid AC or WTP.  Adding confidentiality would   prevent eavesdropping.11.  Countermeasures Provided by DTLS   Datagram TLS (DTLS) is the currently proposed security solution for   CAPWAP.  DTLS supports the following security functionality:   o  Mutual Authentication (pre-shared secrets or X.509 Certificates)   o  Mutual Authorization (pre-shared secrets or X.509 Certificates)   o  Data Origin Authentication   o  Data Integrity Verification   o  Anti-replay   o  Confidentiality (supports strong cryptographic algorithms)   Using DTLS for both the control and data channels mitigates nearly   all risks resulting from splitting the AP function in two.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 30]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 200912.  Issues Not Addressed By DTLS   Unfortunately, DTLS does not solve all of our CAPWAP security   concerns.  There are some things it just cannot prevent.  These are   enumerated below.12.1.  DoS Attacks   Even with the security provided by DTLS, CAPWAP is still susceptible   to various types of DoS attack:   o  Session Initialization: an adversary could initiate thousands of      DTLS handshakes simultaneously in order to exhaust memory      resources on the AC; DTLS provides a mitigation tool via the      HelloVerifyRequest, which ensures that the initiator can receive      packets at the claimed source address prior to allocating      resources.  However, this would not thwart a botnet-style attack.   o  Cryptographic DoS: an adversary could flood either the AC or WTP      with properly formed DTLS records containing garbage, causing the      recipient to waste compute cycles decrypting and authenticating      the traffic.   o  Session interference: a MitM could either drop important session      establishment packets or inject bogus connection resets during      session establishment phase.  It could also interfere with other      traffic in an established session.   These attacks can be mitigated through various mechanisms, but not   entirely avoided.  For example, session initialization can be rate-   limited, and in case of resource exhaustion, some number of   incompletely initialized sessions could be discarded.  Also, such   events should be strictly audited.   Likewise, cryptographic DoS attacks are detectable if appropriate   auditing and monitoring controls are implemented.  When detected,   these events should (at minimum) trigger an alert.  Additional   mitigation might be realized by randomly discarding packets.   Session interference is probably the most difficult of DoS attacks.   It is very difficult to detect in real-time, although it may be   detected if exceeding a lost packet threshold triggers an alert.   However, this depends on the MitM not being in a position to delete   the alert before it reaches its appropriate destination.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 31]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 200912.2.  Passive Monitoring (Sniffing)   CAPWAP protocol security cannot prevent (or detect) passive   monitoring.  The best we can do is provide a confidentiality   mechanism.12.3.  Traffic Analysis   DTLS provides no defense for traffic analysis.  If this is a concern,   there are traffic generation and padding techniques designed to   mitigate this threat, but none of these are currently specified for   CAPWAP.12.4.  Active MitM Interference   This was discussed in more limited scope in the section above on DoS   attacks.  An active MitM can delete or re-order packets in a manner   that is very difficult to detect, and there is little the CAPWAP   protocol can do in such cases.  If packet loss is reported upon   exceeding some threshold, then perhaps detection might be possible,   but this is not guaranteed.12.5.  Other Active Attacks   In addition to the issues raised above, there are other active   attacks that can be mounted if the adversary has access to the wired   medium.  For example, the adversary may be able to impersonate a DNS   or DHCP server, or to poison either a DNS or ARP cache.  Such attacks   are beyond the scope of CAPWAP, and point to an underlying LAN   security problem.13.  Security Considerations   This document outlines a threat analysis for CAPWAP in the context of   IEEE 802.11 deployments, and as such, no additional CAPWAP-related   security considerations are described here.  However, in some cases   additional management channels (e.g., Simple Network Management   Protocol (SNMP)) may be introduced into CAPWAP deployments.  Whenever   this occurs, related security considerations MUST be described in   detail in those documents.14.  Acknowledgements   The authors gratefully acknowledge the reviews and helpful comments   of Dan Romascanu, Joe Salowey, Sam Hartman, Mahalingham Mani, and   Pasi Eronen.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 32]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 200915.  References15.1.  Normative References   [80211I]    "IEEE Std 802.11i: WLAN Specification for Enhanced               Security", April 2004.   [80211SEC]  Edney, J. and W. Arbaugh, "Real 802.11 Security - Wi-Fi               protected Access and 802.11i", 2004.   [8021X]     "IEEE Std 802.1X-2004: Port-based Network Access               Control", December 2004.   [RFC2119]   Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate               Requirement Levels",BCP 14,RFC 2119, March 1997.   [RFC4118]   Yang, L., Zerfos, P., and E. Sadot, "Architecture               Taxonomy for Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access               Points (CAPWAP)",RFC 4118, June 2005.   [RFC5415]   Calhoun, P., Ed., Montemurro, M., Ed., and D. Stanley,               Ed., "Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points               (CAPWAP) Protocol Specification",RFC 5415, March 2009.   [RFC5416]   Calhoun, P., Ed., Montemurro, M., Ed., and D. Stanley,               Ed., "Control And Provisioning of Wireless Access Points               (CAPWAP) Protocol Binding for IEEE 802.11",RFC 5416,               March 2009.15.2.  Informative References   [RFC3579]   Aboba, B. and P. Calhoun, "RADIUS (Remote Authentication               Dial In User Service) Support For Extensible               Authentication Protocol (EAP)",RFC 3579, September 2003.   [RFC3748]   Aboba, B., Blunk, L., Vollbrecht, J., Carlson, J., and H.               Levkowetz, "Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)",RFC 3748, June 2004.   [RFC4072]   Eronen, P., Hiller, T., and G. Zorn, "Diameter Extensible               Authentication Protocol (EAP) Application",RFC 4072,               August 2005.   [RFC4962]   Housley, R. and B. Aboba, "Guidance for Authentication,               Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) Key Management",BCP 132,RFC 4962, July 2007.Kelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 33]

RFC 5418             CAPWAP 802.11 Threat Analysis            March 2009   [WEPSEC]    Petroni, N. and W. Arbaugh, "The Dangers of Mitigating               Security Design Flaws: A Wireless Case Study",               January 2003.Authors' Addresses   Scott G. Kelly   Aruba Networks   1322 Crossman Ave   Sunnyvale, CA  94089   US   EMail: scott@hyperthought.com   T. Charles Clancy   DoD Laboratory for Telecommunications Sciences   8080 Greenmead Drive   College Park, MD  20740   US   EMail: clancy@LTSnet.netKelly & Clancy               Informational                     [Page 34]

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