question about network configuration in wpa_supplicant.conf

[Bryan Kadzban]

Osho GG wrote:
> Well, I was hoping that wpa_supplicant can use the encrypted version 
> of this password :) (like it does for psk).

The PSK is *NOT* encrypted, it's just in a hex format.  Anyone can use
that string of hex bytes instead of a text passphrase, and still connect
to your PSK network.

(Every supplicant actually uses the hashed (hex-bytes) value in the
4-way handshake, not the text passphrase.  Most allow you to type in
either.  Certainly the XP supplicant allows you to type in either.)

> and is reasonably secure as the password is not saved anywhere in
> plain text.

Except it is stored as a LanMan hash by default (extraordinarily easy to
de-hash)...  but that's a separate issue.

> Could wpa be configured in such a manner that it can use my linux
> user password (or even root password)

Not that I know of, but why would you want to use the same password
anyway?  And if you aren't using the same password, would that make it a
lot less of a problem that it's saved in plain-text, because it isn't
used for anything else?
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