A dictionary attack is a method used by attackers to guess a system’s password by systematically trying common words, phrases, or leaked credentials from known password lists. Instead of attempting every possible combination of characters (as in brute-force attacks), dictionary attacks rely on precompiled lists (or “dictionaries”) of likely passwords, based on human tendencies to pick familiar terms. Because many people choose simple or guessable passwords, attackers often have success by using these pre-made lists.
WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) is a widely adopted standard that has secured Wi-Fi networks for over a decade. While it significantly improved upon its predecessor (WPA) by mandating stronger encryption (AES-CCMP) and including a well-defined four-way handshake for key management, WPA2 is not without weaknesses. One of its primary vulnerabilities in environments that use a Pre-Shared Key (PSK)—such as a home Wi-Fi password—is susceptibility to offline dictionary attacks. An attacker who captures the initial four-way handshake during a client’s connection to the network can extract sufficient data to attempt unlimited password guesses offline, without further interaction with the network. If the password is weak or commonly used, it may be quickly compromised.
As cybersecurity threats evolved and attackers became more sophisticated, the industry recognized the need for more robust Wi-Fi security. WPA3 was introduced to address many of the known flaws in WPA2, particularly the risk of offline dictionary attacks.
The key technological shift in WPA3’s Personal mode (the mode commonly used in home networks) is the introduction of the Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) handshake mechanism. SAE is a more secure way to authenticate wireless devices and derive encryption keys from a shared password. Instead of relying on a system that allows attackers to passively capture data and then guess the password offline, SAE employs a more complex cryptographic method that forces any password guess to be verified online. This means that if an attacker wants to try even one potential password, they must interact with the live network, making large-scale, automated guessing impractical.
A) Adoption of a four-way handshake for transient key derivation: WPA2 already used a four-way handshake. This is not a WPA3-specific enhancement.
B) Mandatory use of AES-CCMP encryption for data confidentiality: While AES-CCMP is a strong encryption algorithm, WPA2 also used it (though TKIP was also an option, which was less secure). WPA3 mandates the use of more robust encryption, but the core improvement regarding dictionary attacks is SAE. WPA3 uses GCMP, which is based on AES.
D) Integration of RC4-based initialization vectors for additional key randomness: RC4 is a weak and deprecated cipher. Its use would be a significant security vulnerability, not an enhancement. WPA3 specifically avoids weak ciphers.