6 GHz Wi-Fi Flaws Could Disrupt Critical Systems

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University and Idaho National Laboratory revealed that Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems for the 6 GHz Wi‑Fi band trust client-side inputs (GPS/GNSS, Wi‑Fi geolocation, DNS, NTP), creating off-path attack vectors whereby adversaries can spoof location/time, poison DNS, or impersonate AFC servers; these attacks can produce incorrect frequency/power assignments, harmful interference to critical incumbents (radio towers, cellular backhaul, public safety networks), and denial-of-service for 6 GHz clients. The team published two white papers and a practical proof‑of‑concept showing AFC impersonation and forged responses, and recommends mitigations such as multi-source authenticated localization, secure DNS/NTP, geofencing, spoof detection, and vendor cooperation.