What are the primary threats discovered by packet sniffing in WEP?

The primary threats discovered by packet sniffing in WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) largely revolve around the vulnerabilities associated with initialization vectors and how encryption keys are managed.

In WEP, each packet uses an initialization vector (IV) in combination with a shared secret key to encrypt data. However, these IVs are relatively short (typically 24 bits) and can be reused across different packets. When an attacker employs a packet sniffer, they can capture enough packets and analyze the IVs. This analysis can reveal patterns and enable the attacker to derive the secret key, leading to successful decryption of the data being transmitted over the network. This means that the very mechanism intended to secure data transmission can be exploited to compromise confidentiality.

Understanding this threat is crucial for recognizing why WEP is considered weak by modern standards, as these vulnerabilities have been the basis for various attacks on WEP-encrypted networks. Other choices, while discussing important security issues, do not pinpoint this specific vulnerability characteristic to packet sniffing and WEP.