Attacks & Threats
Rogue Access Point
Also known as: Unauthorized AP
Definition
An unauthorised wireless access point connected to a network, either installed maliciously by an attacker or naively by an employee, that bypasses network security controls.
Examples
- A pen-tester plants a small cellular-connected AP under a meeting-room table as a covert backdoor.
- An employee installs a home Wi-Fi router in their cubicle to bypass corporate web filtering, exposing the LAN.
Related terms
Evil Twin Attack
A Wi-Fi attack in which an adversary stands up a rogue access point that mimics a legitimate SSID, so victims connect to it and expose traffic or credentials.
Wi-Fi Pineapple
A commercial wireless auditing platform from Hak5 that automates rogue access point, evil-twin, and man-in-the-middle attacks, widely used in red-team engagements.
Man-in-the-Middle Attack
An attack in which an adversary secretly relays or alters communications between two parties who believe they are talking directly to each other.
Network Access Control (NAC)
Network Access Control (NAC) — definition coming soon.
IEEE 802.1X
IEEE 802.1X — definition coming soon.
MAC Spoofing
Changing a network interface's hardware MAC address to impersonate another device, bypass MAC-based access controls, or evade tracking.