AIR-FI: Generating Covert Wi-Fi Signals from Air-Gapped Computers
In this paper, we show that attackers can exfiltrate data from air-gapped
computers via Wi-Fi signals. Malware in a compromised air-gapped computer can
generate signals in the Wi-Fi frequency bands. The signals are generated
through the memory buses - no special hardware is required. Sensitive data can
be modulated and secretly exfiltrated on top of the signals. We show that
nearby Wi-Fi capable devices (e.g., smartphones, laptops, IoT devices) can
intercept these signals, decode them, and send them to the attacker over the
Internet. To extract the signals, we utilize the physical layer information
exposed by the Wi-Fi chips. We implement the transmitter and receiver and
discuss design considerations and implementation details. We evaluate this
covert channel in terms of bandwidth and distance and present a set of
countermeasures. Our evaluation shows that data can be exfiltrated from
air-gapped computers to nearby Wi-Fi receivers located a distance of several
meters away.