🔒16-Year-Old Wi-Fi Flaw Affects 1.56M Belgian Routers
Millions of routers vulnerable to attack, no password needed
TL;DR
A 16-year-old security flaw in Broadcom's Wi-Fi software allows attackers to hijack millions of routers without knowing the network password. The flaw affects 1.56 million routers in Belgium and potentially millions more globally.
A 16-year-old security flaw in Broadcom's Wi-Fi software allows attackers to hijack millions of routers without knowing the network password. This flaw, affecting routers supplied by Belgian internet providers Proximus, Orange, and VOO, impacts 1.56 million routers in Belgium alone. The flaw is in Broadcom's handling of Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), which allows attackers to run their own code on the device. The vulnerability was known to Broadcom since 2018, but a full fix was not implemented, leaving millions of devices at risk. The flaw affects routers using Broadcom's older eCos-based chips and some Linux-based BCM3390, BCM65xx, and BCM68xx chips, potentially leaving older routers vulnerable indefinitely.
Key Points
Security researcher Quentin Kaiser disclosed a 16-year-old flaw in Broadcom's Wi-Fi software, affecting millions of routers.
The flaw allows attackers to run their own code on the device without knowing the network password.
The vulnerability affects 1.56 million routers in Belgium supplied by Proximus, Orange, and VOO.
Broadcom's partial fix in 2016 did not fully resolve the issue, leaving millions of devices at risk.
Manufacturers are advised to move away from Broadcom's proprietary WPS implementation and use open-source hostapd software instead.
Why It Matters
If you're using a router with a Broadcom chip, especially one supplied by Proximus, Orange, or VOO in Belgium, your device is likely vulnerable to this 16-year-old flaw. The flaw allows attackers to run their own code on the device without knowing the network password, potentially compromising your network security. The good news is that manufacturers are being advised to move to open-source hostapd software, but older routers may never get a fix.
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