{"id":6055,"date":"2025-10-09T14:07:38","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T14:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kastel-labs.de\/?post_type=news&p=6055"},"modified":"2025-10-28T13:58:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T13:58:19","slug":"wlan-als-spion-uberwachungsfalle-in-funknetzwerken","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/kastel-labs.de\/news\/wlan-als-spion-uberwachungsfalle-in-funknetzwerken\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spy Who Came in from the WiFi: Beware of Radio Network Surveillance!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you pass by a caf\u00e9 that operates a WiFi network, you can be identified \u2013 even if you do not carry a smart phone with you. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have found out that it is possible to identify people solely through WiFi signals. They point out that this constitutes a significant risk to privacy. To infer the identity of persons, it is no longer necessary that they carry a smart phone or tablet on them. It takes nothing but WiFi devices communicating with each other in the person\u2019s surroundings. This creates an image comparable to a camera shot, but based on radio waves. The research team calls for adequate privacy safeguards.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBy observing the propagation of radio waves, we can create an image of the surroundings and of persons there,\u201d says Professor Thorsten Strufe from KASTEL Security Research Labs at KIT \u201cThis works similarly to a normal camera, the difference being that in our case, radio waves instead of light waves are transformed into an image,\u201d explains the cybersecurity expert. \u201cThus, it does not matter whether you carry a WiFi device on you or not.\u201d Even switching a device off does not help: \u201cIt\u2019s sufficient that other WiFi devices in your surroundings are active.\u201d<\/p>\n

WiFi Routers as \u201cQuiet Observers\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis technology turns every router into a potential means for surveillance,\u201d warns Julian Todt from KASTEL. \u201cIf you regularly pass by a caf\u00e9 that operates a WiFi network, you could be identified there without noticing it and be recognized later \u2013 for example by public authorities or companies.\u201d Strufe stresses that it is true that there are easier methods for secret services or cybercriminals to observe people \u2013 for example by accessing CCTV cameras or video doorbells. \u201cHowever, the omnipresent wireless networks might become a nearly comprehensive surveillance infrastructure.\u201d Actually, WiFi networks exist in almost all homes, offices, restaurants, and public spaces today.<\/p>\n

No Special Hardware Required<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike attacks with LIDAR sensors or previous WiFi-based methods, which use channel state information (CSI) \u2013 i.e. measured data that indicate how a radio signal changes when it hits walls, furniture, or persons \u2013 the attackers do not need any special hardware. This method requires nothing but standard WiFi devices. It works by exploiting the legitimate users whose devices are connected to the WiFi network. These regularly send feedback signals within the network, also called beamforming feedback information (BFI), to the router \u2013 in unencrypted form so that it is readable by third parties. This creates images from different angles of view that can serve to identify the respective persons. Once the underlying machine-learning model has been trained, the identification only takes a few seconds.<\/p>\n

Almost 100% Hit Rate \u2013 Technology Entails Risks to Privacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a study with 197 participants, the research team could infer the identity of persons with almost 100% accuracy \u2013 independently of the perspective or their walking style. \u201cThe technology is powerful, but at the same time entails risks to our fundamental rights, especially to privacy,\u201d emphasizes Strufe. The researchers warn that this is particularly critical in authoritarian states where the technology might be used for the observation of protesters. Therefore, they urgently call for protective measures and privacy safeguards in the forthcoming IEEE 802.11bf WiFi standard.<\/p>\n

Funding and Publication<\/strong><\/p>\n

The project was funded under the Helmholtz \u201cEngineering Secure Systems\u201d topic. The researchers will present their results at the \u201cACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security\u201d (CCS) in Taipei. The paper will be available from October 13, 2025 at https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3719027.3765062<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Original publication<\/strong><\/p>\n

Todt, Julian; Morsbach, Felix; Strufe, Thorsten: BFId: Identity Inference Attacks utilizing Beamforming Feedback Information, ACM, 2025. DOI: 10.1145\/3719027.3765062 (from October 13, 2025).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Technology is Able to Infer the Identity of Persons with No WiFi Device on Them through Signals in Radio Networks \u2013 Researchers Warn of Risks to Privacy and Call for Protective Measures<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news-category":[96],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-6055","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Spy Who Came in from the WiFi: Beware of Radio Network Surveillance! - KASTEL SRL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kastel-labs.de\/news\/wlan-als-spion-uberwachungsfalle-in-funknetzwerken\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Spy Who Came in from the WiFi: Beware of Radio Network Surveillance! - KASTEL SRL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"New Technology is Able to Infer the Identity of Persons with No WiFi Device on Them through Signals in Radio Networks \u2013 Researchers Warn of Risks to Privacy and Call for Protective Measures\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/kastel-labs.de\/news\/wlan-als-spion-uberwachungsfalle-in-funknetzwerken\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"KASTEL SRL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-28T13:58:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/kastel-labs.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/KASTEL_OG_Image.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@KASTEL_SRL\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kastel-labs.de\\\/news\\\/wlan-als-spion-uberwachungsfalle-in-funknetzwerken\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kastel-labs.de\\\/news\\\/wlan-als-spion-uberwachungsfalle-in-funknetzwerken\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Spy Who Came in from the WiFi: Beware of Radio Network Surveillance! 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