©2021 Reporters Post24. All Rights Reserved.
Arecent study by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP) and Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) reveals that reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) can be used to launch targeted jamming attacks on Wi-Fi networks.
Their findings indicate that this technology, originally developed to optimize wireless signals in future 6G networks, could also allow attackers to disrupt specific devices while leaving nearby devices unaffected selectively.
How does wireless jamming work
Wireless jamming, in which intruders overpower legitimate signals with interference, has been a known threat for years. Criminals have frequently exploited it to disrupt car-locking systems or security alarms, causing denial of service without physically tampering with devices.
Law enforcement agencies often use jamming devices to prevent the unauthorized use of drones during public events and combat safety and security disruptions.
Another notable example is when criminals employed jammers to interfere with the GPS signals of cargo trucks, allowing them to hijack vehicles and steal valuable merchandise without being tracked.
These scenarios involve broadband or wide-area jamming that are blunt instruments, affecting all devices relying on the targeted frequencies within the affected area.
The latest research raises concerns that RIS may aid more subtle jamming tactics by enabling fine-grained spatial control. Instead of blocking signals across a wide area, RIS allows attackers to focus the jamming signal accurately and cause disruption without immediately raising suspicion.
Attacking networks with Pinpoint accuracy
The scientists conducted experiments using a prototype RIS device co-developed by researchers at TH Köln and RUB. This device is effectively a software-controlled surface, allowing each mirror-like facet to be individually adjusted to direct radio waves to precise locations.
“You can think of the RIS device like a disco ball, which can reflect radio waves. The difference is that we can manipulate each mirror facet so that it directs the waves where we want them to,” explained lead author Philipp Mackensen.
By confining jamming signals to just one target while sparing neighboring devices, attackers could bypass automated security measures designed to detect and respond to large-scale disruptions. The team demonstrated that even when two devices were stacked mere millimeters apart, it was still possible to jam one without disturbing the other.
“Achieving such a high spatial resolution of targeting with relatively inexpensive and low complexity tools would not be possible without the RIS technology,” noted co-author Paul Staat.
The researchers highlight how RIS technology could undermine complex wireless environments. For example, an automated manufacturing line might rely on networks that trigger an alarm whenever large-scale interference is detected.
Selective jamming of one device in that setup might evade detection because the rest of the network remains stable. This raises the stakes for wireless security in industries ranging from smart homes to factory automation.
The underlying message of the research
Despite these risks, the study also suggests methods to mitigate the threat. Strategies include improved signal power monitoring, which can help detect unusual localized interference and hardware that scrutinizes the signal environment more carefully.
Crucially, design improvements in future radio protocols could ensure that reconfigurable intelligent surfaces initially intended to boost network performance, do not become easy tools for malicious actors.
The paper documenting these findings is currently available on the arXiv preprint server. It will be formally presented at the 32nd Network & Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium in San Diego this month.
By shedding light on the dual-use nature of RIS technology, the researchers call for heightened attention to both the security risks and protective measures needed to safeguard next-generation wireless networks from hidden vulnerabilities.
