performing-wifi-password-cracking-with-aircrack

# Performing WiFi Password Cracking with Aircrack-ng ## When to Use - Assessing the strength of WPA/WPA2/WPA3 passphrases during authorized wireless penetration tests - Testing whether wireless networks are using weak or default passwords that can be cracked offline - Capturing and analyzing 4-way handshakes to evaluate wireless authentication security - Demonstrating the risks of WEP, weak WPA2 passphrases, and PMKID-based attacks to stakeholders - Validating that enterprise wireless networks use 802.1X/EAP instead of pre-shared keys **Do not use** against wireless networks without explicit written authorization, for disrupting wireless communications, or for capturing handshakes of networks you do not have permission to test. ## Prerequisites - Written authorization specifying in-scope SSIDs and wireless networks - Wireless adapter with monitor mode and packet injection support (Alfa AWUS036ACH, Alfa AWUS036ACM, or similar) - Kali Linux with aircrack-ng suite, hashcat, and hcxtools installed - Password wordlists (rockyou.txt, SecLists, or custom organization-specific lists) - GPU-capable system for hashcat acceleration (optional but recommended for large wordlists) ## Workflow ### Step 1: Prepare the Wireless Interface ```bash # Identify wireless interfaces iwconfig # or iw dev # Kill interfering processes sudo airmon-ng check kill # Enable monitor mode sudo airmon-ng start wlan0 # Output: monitor mode enabled on wlan0mon # Verify monitor mode iwconfig wlan0mon #...