Overview of WPA3
Simultaneous Authentication of Equals
A simultaneous authentication of equals (SAE) is a protocol used in WPA3 that
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provides stronger password protection from guessing attacks by third parties
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employs discrete logarithm cryptography to perform an efficient exchange that enables mutual authentication using a password, and
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resists offline dictionary attacks.
Feature History
|
Feature Name |
Release |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
WPA3 — SAE H2E with Identity PSK |
Cisco IOS XE 17.9.2 |
Added support for Identity PSK (iPSK) passphrase for SAE H2E authentication in local mode. iPSK replaces WLAN passphrase during SAE H2E authentication when configured. |
|
Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 Hash-to-Element (H2E) Support for SAE Authentication |
Cisco IOS XE 17.7.1 |
Introduced Hash-to-Element (H2E) support for SAE authentication. WLAN command options added: h2e , hnp , both-h2e-hnp (default). |
|
Wi-Fi Protected Access3 |
Cisco IOS XE 16.12.1 |
WPA3 is the latest version of Wi-Fi ProtectedAccess (WPA), which is a suite of protocols and technologies that provide authentication and encryption for Wi-Fi networks. |
WPA3 and SAE in Wi-Fi Security
WPA3 is the latest version of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), which is a suite of protocols and technologies that provide authentication and encryption for Wi-Fi networks.
WPA3 leverages SAE to provide stronger protections for users against password guessing attempts by third parties.
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WPA3-Personal protects users through robust password-based authentication, making brute-force dictionary attacks more difficult.
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WPA3-Enterprise provides higher-grade security protocols for sensitive data networks.
When the client connects to the AP, they perform an SAE exchange. If the exchange is successful, both parties create a cryptographically strong key, which is used to derive the session key. The client and AP complete commit and confirm phases. After commitment, the devices transition to confirm states whenever a new session key is generated. This method uses forward secrecy so that if an intruder cracks one key, the other session keys remain secure.
![]() Note |
Home SSIDs configured using the OEAP GUI do not support WPA3 security in Cisco IOS-XE 17.6 and 17.7 releases. |
Unsupported APs
Cisco APs do not support SAE. If you attempt to connect an AP client to an SAE SSID using these APs, the client will not be able to join after receiving M3 from the AP.
Cisco APs that do not support SAE include:
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Cisco Aironet 1815 Series APs (AP1815W, AP1815T, AP1815I, AP1815M)
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Cisco Aironet 1815T OfficeExtend APs
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Cisco Aironet 1800 Series APs (AP1800I, AP1800S)
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Cisco Aironet 1810 Series APs
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Cisco Aironet 1542 Series Outdoor APs (AP1542D, AP1542I)
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Cisco Aironet 1830 and 1850 Series APs
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Cisco Aironet 1840 Series APs (AP1840I)
![]() Note |
For more information on supported APs for SAE, refer to the Feature Matrix for Cisco Wireless Access Points. |
Opportunistic Wireless Encryption
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serves as an extension to IEEE 802.11 standards
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provides encryption of the wireless medium without requiring user credentials, and
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enables secure wireless communication between APs and clients, even in networks traditionally considered open.
Expanded explanation
OWE authenticates devices using Diffie-Hellman algorithm-based cryptography to set up wireless encryption. During network access, the client and AP perform a Diffie-Hellman key exchange. This process establishes a unique pairwise secret. The secret is then used with the standard 4-way handshake to secure the session. This method reduces the risks of open wireless networks by encrypting data traffic and increases security for deployments that otherwise use unsecured or pre-shared key(PSK) configurations.
Hash-to-Element (H2E)
An SAE password element method is a cryptographic procedure that
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Derives the secret password element (PWE) in the Simultaneous Authentication of Equals (SAE) protocol
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Transforms a password into a secure intermediary element for authentication, and
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Provides protection against security threats such as group downgrade attacks.
Hash-to-Element is a new SAE Password Element (PWE) calculation method for wireless security protocols.
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Hash-to-Element (H2E): Hash-to-Element is a SAE password element method that derives the PWE directly from a password using a hashing process. When a station (STA) supporting H2E initiates SAE with an AP, it checks if the AP supports H2E. If supported, the AP uses the H2E method to generate the PWE, as indicated by a new Status Code in the SAE Commit message.
PWE derivation steps in H2E
When using the H2E method, PWE derivation consists of two steps:
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Creation of secret intermediary element (PT): The secret intermediary element (PT) is derived offline from the password when it is initially configured for each supported group.
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Derivation of the PWE: The PWE is generated in real-time from the stored PT during the SAE exchange, using the negotiated group and the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of both peers.
Additional reference information
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If a device uses the older Hunting-and-Pecking method, the overall SAE exchange remains unchanged.
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The H2E method protects against man-in-the-middle attacks, including Group Downgrade attacks. During authentication, peers exchange lists of rejected groups as part of PMK derivation. If there is a mismatch, the system terminates authentication to prevent a downgrade attack.
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The 6-GHz band supports only H2E SAE PWE method.
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In a typical SAE exchange on a 6 GHz network, only the H2E method is used for password element generation.
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A station using H2E checks AP support, and if supported, uses H2E for secure and efficient authentication.
YANG (RPC model)
To create an RPC for SAE Password Element (PWE) mode, use this RPC model:
<nc:rpc xmlns:nc="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" message-id="urn:uuid:0a77124f-c563-469d-bd21-cc625a9691cc">
<nc:edit-config>
<nc:target>
<nc:running/>
</nc:target>
<nc:config>
<wlan-cfg-data xmlns="http://cisco.com/ns/yang/Cisco-IOS-XE-wireless-wlan-cfg">
<wlan-cfg-entries>
<wlan-cfg-entry>
<profile-name>test</profile-name>
<wlan-id>2</wlan-id>
<sae-pwe-mode>both-h2e-hnp</sae-pwe-mode>
</wlan-cfg-entry>
</wlan-cfg-entries>
</wlan-cfg-data>
</nc:config>
</nc:edit-config>
</nc:rpc>
To delete a 6-GHz radio policy and modify the SAE Password Element (PWE) mode, use this RPC model:
<nc:rpc xmlns:nc="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" message-id="urn:uuid:2b8c4be6-492e-4488-b2cf-1f2a1e39fa8c"><nc:edit-config>
<nc:target>
<nc:running/>
</nc:target>
<nc:config>
<wlan-cfg-data xmlns="http://cisco.com/ns/yang/Cisco-IOS-XE-wireless-wlan-cfg">
<wlan-cfg-entries>
<wlan-cfg-entry>
<profile-name>test</profile-name>
<wlan-id>2</wlan-id>
<wlan-radio-policies>
<wlan-radio-policy nc:operation="delete">
<band>dot11-6-ghz-band</band>
</wlan-radio-policy>
</wlan-radio-policies>
</wlan-cfg-entry>
</wlan-cfg-entries>
</wlan-cfg-data>
</nc:config>
</nc:edit-config>
</nc:rpc>
##
Received message from host
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<rpc-reply message-id="urn:uuid:2b8c4be6-492e-4488-b2cf-1f2a1e39fa8c" xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" xmlns:nc="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0">
<ok/>
</rpc-reply>
NETCONF rpc COMPLETE
NETCONF SEND rpc
Requesting 'Dispatch'
Sending:
#1268
<nc:rpc xmlns:nc="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" message-id="urn:uuid:e19a3309-2509-446f-9dbe-c46a6de433db"><nc:edit-config>
<nc:target>
<nc:running/>
</nc:target>
<nc:config>
<wlan-cfg-data xmlns="http://cisco.com/ns/yang/Cisco-IOS-XE-wireless-wlan-cfg">
<wlan-cfg-entries>
<wlan-cfg-entry>
<profile-name>test</profile-name>
<wlan-id>2</wlan-id>
<wlan-radio-policies>
<wlan-radio-policy nc:operation="merge">
<band>dot11-5-ghz-band</band>
</wlan-radio-policy>
</wlan-radio-policies>
<sae-pwe-mode>hunting-and-pecking-only</sae-pwe-mode>
</wlan-cfg-entry>
</wlan-cfg-entries>
</wlan-cfg-data>
</nc:config>
</nc:edit-config>
</nc:rpc>
##
Received message from host
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<rpc-reply message-id="urn:uuid:e19a3309-2509-446f-9dbe-c46a6de433db" xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" xmlns:nc="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0">
<ok/>
</rpc-reply>
NETCONF rpc COMPLETE
![]() Note |
The delete operation performs one action at a time due to the current infra limitation. That is, in YANG module, the delete operation on multiple nodes are not supported. |
Transition Disable
A Transition Disable indication is a wireless security feature that
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allows an AP to signal a client device (STA) to disable certain transition modes for future connections
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helps prevent downgrade attacks by restricting less secure connection options, and
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is used to strengthen network security without affecting legacy device connectivity.
Disabling transition modes to enforce WPA3 Security.
A client device (STA) may enable transition modes—such as WPA3-Personal transition mode—by default in its network profile, sometimes allowing fallback to less secure methods like PSK.
The Transition Disable indication lets the AP instruct supported STAs to disable these fallback modes, ensuring only secure connection methods are used when possible.
The Transition Disable indication thus provides protection against downgrade attacks.
![]() Note |
An AP that uses Transition Disable indication does not necessarily disable the corresponding transition modes on its own BSS. |
WPA3 SAE iPSK
A WPA3 SAE iPSK is a Wi-Fi authentication method that:
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uses RADIUS server integration to generate unique pre-shared keys for individual users or groups,
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allows more secure and granular authentication in networks where devices do not support 802.1X, and
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limits breach impact so only compromised keys require updating, not all devices on the SSID.
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SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals): A protocol for mutual secure authentication between client and access point.
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H2E (Hash-to-Element): An SAE mode using a password token derived from the authentication passphrase.
iPSK passphrase handling
In networks using WPA3 SAE iPSKs, the WLAN appears like a traditional PSK network from the client’s perspective.
From Cisco IOS-XE 17.9.2, the iPSK passphrase is supported for SAE H2E authentication in Local mode. The iPSK passphrase is configured in the client authorization policy in the RADIUS server. The passphrase pushes the policy to the controller during client MAB authentication.
![]() Note |
The iPSK passphrase in the RADIUS policy replaces the WLAN profile passphrase when generating the password token. |
If only one group’s PSK is compromised, that group must update their key; the rest of the WLAN remains secure.

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