Open or WEP WLAN
At a glance
Base severity
Area
Platform
Evidence level
Benchmark reference
Reads the export, not the device
ConfigProof reads a configuration export. This control is evaluated against the objects in that file, and it reports what the file says. It does not connect to the device and sees no traffic, so a finding here describes the configuration, not what the firewall is doing right now.
Why it matters
Anyone in radio range can join the WLAN and read the traffic of its other clients.
How to fix it
Web interface
The steps below are written for the web interface. A finding raised on your own export carries the same steps with your object names filled in.
- Protect the WLAN with WPA2 or WPA3: wlan {wlan} > security wpa > security wpa wpa2 (or wpa3) > security wpa akm dot1x (or psk or sae); for a guest WLAN use Enhanced Open: security wpa akm owe.
- Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Configuration Best Practices, section Security settings: WPA3 and Enhanced Open (guest).
Command line
Cisco Catalyst 9800 IOS XE CLI
configure terminalwlan <wlan-profile> <wlan-id> <ssid>shutdownsecurity wpasecurity wpa wpa2security wpa wpa2 ciphers aessecurity wpa akm dot1xno shutdownendwrite memory
An example. Values in angle brackets are yours to supply; a finding on your own export fills in the names it read. Typed in configuration mode; write memory saves it, with no separate commit. Read every line first.
Read it back
show wlan name <wlan-profile>Values to fill in3
- <wlan-profile>
- The WLAN profile name
- <wlan-id>
- The WLAN id
- <ssid>
- The SSID
Before you type it3
- Written from the Cisco Catalyst 9800 configuration guide for IOS XE 17 and not run on a controller: read each line before you paste it.
- The WLAN stops serving clients between shutdown and no shutdown: change it in a maintenance window.
- For a guest WLAN, Enhanced Open (security wpa akm owe) encrypts without a password.
How to confirm the fix
- show wlan name {wlan} shows WPA2 or WPA3 with AES and an authentication key management.
Limits
- No limitation is recorded for this control beyond the one that applies to all of them: it reads a configuration export.
Compliance references
No benchmark recommendation is mapped to this control in this version.
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