Disrupting connections between rogue access points and rogue stations with spoofed BSS transition management request frames

A non-transitory computer-readable medium in a Wi-Fi controller on a data communication network, for disrupting connections between rouge access points and rogue stations operating with spoofed Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition Management Request (BTM-REQ frame) Action frames, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the Wi-Fi controller, AP scan reports and station scan reports from one or more access points;
• identifying a rogue access point from the access point scan reports and a rogue station from the station scan reports, wherein the rogue station and the rogue access point are compatible with IEEE 802.11v;
• disrupting the rogue station connection to the rogue access point by notifying a nearby, trusted access point to transmit a spoofed BTM-REQ Action frame, having a Preference field value for a rogue BSSID set to a lowest value under a Subelement:
• BSS Transition Candidate Preference field, and having a Preference field value for a trusted BSSID set to a highest value, wherein the Disassociation Imminent field value is set to 1 indicative of upcoming disconnection, and wherein the nearby trusted access point is compatible with IEEE 802.11v;
• and
• detecting disruption of the connection between the rogue station and the rogue BSSID from subsequent station scan reports;
• wherein a second rogue station does not support IEEE 802.11v, disrupting the connection to the rogue access point by notifying a nearby, trusted access point to transmit a spoofed Action frame, wherein a Preference field value is set to a lowest value for a rogue BSSID under Subelement:
• BSS Transition Candidate Preference, wherein a Preference field value for a trusted BSSID is set to a highest value.

A Wi-Fi controller on a data communication network, for disrupting connections between rouge access points and rogue stations operating with spoofed Basic Service Set (BSS) Transition Management Request (BTM-REQ frame) Action frames, the Wi-Fi controller comprising:

• a processor;
• a network interface communicatively coupled to the processor and to a data communication network;
• and
• a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor and storing:
• an access point module to receive AP scan reports and station scan reports from one or more access points;
• a rogue device detector to identify a rogue access point from the access point scan reports and a rogue station from the station scan reports, wherein the rogue station and the rogue access point are compatible with IEEE 802.11v;
• and
• a rogue device disruptor to disrupt the rogue station connection to the rogue access point by notifying a nearby, trusted access point to transmit a spoofed BTM-REQ Action frame, having a Preference field value for a rogue BSSID set to a lowest value under a Subelement:
• BSS Transition Candidate Preference field, and having a Preference field value for a trusted BSSID set to a highest value, wherein the Disassociation Imminent field value is set to 1 indicative of upcoming disconnection, and wherein the nearby trusted access point is compatible with IEEE 802.11v,
• wherein the rogue device detector identifies disruption of the connection between the rogue station and the rogue BSSID from subsequent station scan reports;
• and
• wherein a second rogue station does not support IEEE 802.11v, disrupting the connection to the rogue access point by notifying a nearby, trusted access point to transmit a spoofed Action frame, wherein a Preference field value is set to a lowest value for a rogue BSSID under Subelement:
• BSS Transition Candidate Preference, wherein a Preference field value for a trusted BSSID is set to a highest value.