Handling mismatch of cryptographic keys and related battery drain and communication exchange failures

1. A method to be performed in a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

storing a first cryptographic key at the wireless communications device in connection with a profile, the profile indicating a security type requiring no credentials and a network name;

successfully authenticating and associating with an access point (AP), thus joining a wireless local area network (WLAN) supported by the AP, the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the security type, and the WLAN requiring a second cryptographic key for encryption;

subsequent to joining the WLAN, conducting encrypted communications with the AP;

detecting from the encrypted communications that there is a mismatch between the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key; and

responsive to detecting the mismatch, banning the profile.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein conducting encrypted communications with the AP comprises encrypting an uplink frame using the first cryptographic key and transmitting the encrypted uplink frame to the AP, and wherein detecting the mismatch comprises receiving an error code from the AP, the error code indicating that the AP is unable to decrypt the encrypted uplink frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein conducting encrypted communications with the AP comprises encrypting an uplink frame using the first cryptographic key, the uplink frame including a multicast frame or a broadcast frame, and transmitting the encrypted uplink frame to the AP, and wherein detecting the mismatch comprises failing to receive from the AP an echo frame corresponding to the multicast frame or to the broadcast frame.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein conducting encrypted communications with the AP comprises receiving an encrypted downlink frame from the AP, and wherein detecting the mismatch comprises failing to decrypt the encrypted downlink frame using the first cryptographic key.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein conducting the encrypted communications with the AP and detecting the mismatch comprises, within a window of time, repeatedly: encrypting an uplink frame using the first cryptographic key, transmitting the encrypted uplink frame to the AP, and failing to receive acknowledgment of receipt of the uplink frame from the AP.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the uplink frame includes a dynamic host control protocol (DCHP) request.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the uplink frame includes an address resolution protocol (ARP) request.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising disassociating from the AP responsive to detecting the mismatch.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating a user notification responsive to detecting the mismatch.

10. A method to be performed in a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

storing a first cryptographic key at the wireless communications device in connection with a profile, the profile indicating a security type requiring no credentials and a network name;

successfully authenticating and associating with an access point (AP), thus joining a wireless local area network (WLAN) supported by the AP, the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the security type, and the WLAN requiring a second cryptographic key for encryption;

subsequent to joining the WLAN, requesting an Internet Protocol (IP) address from a dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) server;

responsive to requesting the IP address, receiving an indication of IP address acquisition failure; and

responsive to receiving the indication of IP address acquisition failure, banning the profile.

11. A wireless communications device, comprising:

one or more radio circuits;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the one or more radio circuits and the memory, the processor operative to:

store a first cryptographic key at the wireless communications device in connection with a profile, the profile indicating a security type requiring no credentials and a network name;

successfully authenticate and associate with an access point (AP), thus joining a wireless local area network (WLAN) supported by the AP, the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the security type, and the WLAN requiring a second cryptographic key for encryption;

subsequent to joining the WLAN, conduct encrypted communications with the AP;

detect from the encrypted communications that there is a mismatch between the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic key; and

responsive to detecting the mismatch, ban the profile.

12. The wireless communications device according to claim 11 , the processor operative to conduct the encrypted communications with the AP by encrypting an uplink frame using the first cryptographic key and transmitting the encrypted uplink frame to the AP, and the processor operative to detect the mismatch by receiving an error code from the AP, the error code indicating that the AP is unable to decrypt the encrypted uplink frame.

13. The wireless communications device according to claim 11 , the processor operative to conduct the encrypted communications with the AP by encrypting an uplink frame using the first cryptographic key, the uplink frame including a multicast frame or a broadcast frame, and transmitting the encrypted uplink frame to the AP, and the processor operative to detect the mismatch by failing to receive from the AP an echo frame corresponding to the multicast frame or to the broadcast frame.

14. The wireless communications device according to claim 11 , the processor operative to conduct the encrypted communications with the AP by receiving an encrypted downlink frame from the AP, and the processor operative to detect the mismatch by failing to decrypt the encrypted downlink frame using the first cryptographic key.

15. The wireless communications device according to claim 11 , the processor operative to conduct the encrypted communications with the AP and to detect the mismatch by repeatedly, within a window of time: encrypting an uplink frame using the first cryptographic key, transmitting the encrypted uplink frame to the AP, and failing to receive acknowledgment of receipt of the uplink frame from the AP.

16. The wireless communications device according to claim 15 , wherein the uplink frame includes a dynamic host control protocol (DCHP) request.

17. The wireless communications device according to claim 15 , wherein the uplink frame includes an address resolution protocol (ARP) request.

18. The wireless communications device according to claim 11 , the processor operative to disassociate from the AP responsive to detecting the mismatch.

19. The wireless communications device according to claim 11 , the processor operative to generate a user notification responsive to detecting the mismatch.

20. A wireless communications device, comprising:

one or more radio circuits;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the one or more radio circuits and the memory, the processor operative to:

store a first cryptographic key at the wireless communications device in connection with a profile, the profile indicating a security type requiring no credentials and a network name;

successfully authenticate and associate with an access point (AP), thus joining a wireless local area network (WLAN) supported by the AP, the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the security type, and the WLAN requiring a second cryptographic key for encryption;

subsequent to joining the WLAN, request an Internet Protocol (IP) address from a dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) server;

responsive to requesting the IP address, receive an indication of IP address acquisition failure; and

responsive to receiving the indication of IP address acquisition failure, ban the profile.