car radio wifi connectivity

1972Ren

1972Ren

The Comeback Kid
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Fellow Frogger
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question: I have just installed a brandless chinese Android car radio in one of the cars.
And very happy with performance:price ratio.

But, I was surprised indeed when it connected to my home wifi, without me putting in the wifi password!
How is that possible??
 
Android with the right software can connect to a wireless router through WPS. Check your settings.
 
there is a button on the front of our modem with "WPS" on it .... You know, I've never investigated what is does. Who'd have thought it allows something to connect to your network without approval.
 
If you can get into your Android, (eg from a connected computer) look at /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf where the passphrase is stored.

Are you certain it has found your router, and not an unsecured one? The router can list the connected devices.

Software exists for Android to enter WPS enabled routers, but it is usually an add-on. You could always disable WPS at the router, but I suspect something else is in play.

In Android, under backup, have you in any device (eg your phone) selected to back up data to Google? If you have, the radio device may be retrieving the pass phrase from Google for syncing as an auto restore.

It's always possible to make one device tell the other the password, bu this requires user intervention.
 
Hmm. Yes, I've used WPS to connect devices, but has always required manual button press. Interesting.
I would have to guess, as said above, that the router is in fact, not secure by it's settings, maybe.
 
*the wifi network has a password. it's hard wired into it as they tend to be these days. It was supplied by the ISP and used as-is.
*If one tries to connect to the wifi with any other device, it requires that password to be entered.
*i did not use the WPS button
*I simply powered up the car radio, and it connected itself to my wifi.
*In the car I hotspot the hifi to my phone, but this occurred before I even got a chance to hotspot it as a test, after installation.
 
So the password "supplied by the ISP" could be the default for all routers of that brand and model (used to be "admin" or "password")? Could the car unit have a table of common wifi routers and their default passwords?
 
No! But I appreciate you thinking out of the square.

The password in question here is the SSID password, which is a unique 8 alphanumeric string with, therefore, 8^36 possible combinations. Of course I don't actually know it is unique, but every preset home wifi SSID password I have come across to date, has been different to any other.

The modem is a ZTE unit supplied and configured by Exetel.
Yes these devices do have default username/pwd exactly as you say.
So could something like a $110 car radio include hack software which logs on and reads the SSID password? Is that possible??
It seems incredibly unlikely as the security implications would (should) be 'front page news' if that could be done.
Anycase I have already ie previously, taken the precaution to change the modem login password JUST to avoid that sort of security risk.

It is an intriguing situation. What has occurred seems impossible, due to known facts and the implications. Yet, there it is; the hifi connected itself to my wifi. I suppose I need to cover the possibility that fundamental mental infirmity of humans has made me overlook or forget something crucial I did, by changing the SSID pwd. Then seeing what the hifi does. I am however, as sure as I can be of anything, that I did not enter the SSID pws into the radio.

I think...
 
Hi Ren, now this could be dangerous as I am trying to bring logic to the party.
Firstly, I thought why the heck would a car radio connect to a house wifi? As soon as you drive 50 metres away, you would lose the connection.
Then a brief look for how these things work, and all I can find is that WiFi car radios are called that because they become a wifi hotspot for your other devices.
And they get their signal and internet connection from mobile tower signals, not from your wifi . This makes sense to me, it will use your mobile phone internet connection and account.
I would suggest it is quite possible that if you had connected your mobile to the car radio, maybe for Bluetooth hands free operation, then it could pick up your mobile internet account, ie, your phone data.
Easily checked, drive down the street and see what happens. If it still has internet connection it is getting it from a mobile tower
Apologies if this sounds too basic and is something you have already eliminated.
Cheers
 
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