An unnamed Australian man has been charged with running fake WiFi access points during a domestic flight to carry out man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks that can steal user credentials and data. The WiFi networks were identified by the airline’s employees as suspicious, and a report was filed with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), leading to a month-long investigation.
According to the AFP, the individual “allegedly established fake free WiFi access points, which mimicked legitimate networks, to capture personal data from unsuspecting victims who mistakenly connected to them.” The 42-year-old is now facing nice charges for alleged cybercrime offences as follows:
- Three counts of unauthorised impairment of electronic communication.
- Three counts of possession or control of data with the intent to commit a serious offence.
- One count of unauthorised access or modification of restricted data.
- One count of dishonestly obtaining or dealing in personal financial information (usernames and passwords).
- One count of possession of identification information to commit or facilitate the commission of conduct that constitutes the dealing offence.
The man was charged in May 2024 following the investigation. AFP investigators nabbed him on his way back to Perth Airport on a flight from interstate on April 19, 2024. He was caught with a portable wireless access device, a laptop, and a mobile phone from his hand luggage. The suspect’s home in Palmyra was also searched. He can face up to 23 years in prison based on the aforementioned charges.
The AFP’s Western Command Cybercrime Operations Team has analyzed data and devices seized from the man, identifying dozens of personal credentials belonging to other people as well as bogus WiFi pages. The suspect was claimed to have staged evil twin WiFi attacks on different locations, including domestic flights and airports in Perth, Melbourne, and Adelaide. These WiFi networks required people to log in using email addresses or social media credentials to access the internet, transferring this data to the attacker instead.
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