A RSSI-based rogue access point detection framework for Wi-Fi hotspots

The prevalence of Wi-Fi hotspot poses an unprecedented number of threats that can compromise a client's identity, personal data, and network integrity. Even though most of the Wi-Fi hotspots are unmanaged, unmonitored, and lack of security measures, the urge for the clients to connect to the network is very strong. Thus, this will expose the clients to the adversaries who set up Wi-Fi hotspots Rogue Access Point (RAP) intentionally to pilfer data. To address the threat of RAP, most of existing RAP detections are either by placing sensors to monitor anomalies, or by performing a centralized monitoring at the gateway router. Such infrastructural commitments are limited, expensive and rarely to be implemented in Wi-Fi hotspots. Hence, this work proposes a framework of client-centric RAP detection for Wi-Fi hotspots which exploits Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values measured over time between client and APs. Unlike existing solutions, the key idea is to piggyback AP-sensitive information in IEEE 802.11 beacon frame that enables the client to manipulate this information together with the measured RSSI values in order to perform the detection without authentication and association to any AP.