Open System Authentication is a legacy 802.11 exchange in which a client sends an authentication request and the access point returns an authentication response without exchanging credentials. The access point normally approves the request unless it is malformed, allowing the client to proceed to association. section 20.1.2
Operational characteristics:
- The exchange confirms only that the client and access point present valid 802.11 behavior; it does not validate a shared secret. section 20.1.2
- Unlike Shared Key Authentication, it uses no static WEP key and no challenge phrase. section 20.1.2 section 20.5
- It is not a secure authentication method, and WEP itself is obsolete. section 20.1.2
