What is the typical length of an initialization vector (IV) used in weak implementations of the Wireless Equivalency Protocol (WEP)?

The typical length of an initialization vector (IV) used in weak implementations of the Wireless Equivalent Protocol (WEP) is 24 bits. This choice directly relates to the way WEP was originally designed. The IV is combined with the secret key to form a unique key for each packet sent over the wireless network, but a 24-bit IV provides only a limited number of unique values (2^24 = approximately 16.7 million). This limitation can lead to IV collisions, where the same IV is reused with different packets, ultimately compromising the encryption strength and allowing attackers to exploit known weaknesses in WEP.

In contrast, other lengths do not align with the specified design and vulnerabilities of WEP. For example, 16 bits would provide far fewer unique IVs and be insecure, while 32 bits and 48 bits would surpass the length typically used in WEP, which is specifically configured to 24 bits.