Infiltrating Wi-Fi Networks: Software and Techniques Without a Router

Wireshark

Wireshark is one of the most powerful and popular tools for analyzing networks. As a network protocol analyzer, Wireshark allows users to capture and examine data moving through the network in real time. Its main functions include:

• Capturing Packets: Captures data packets sent and received over the network.
• Filtering Packets: Filter packets based on various criteria such as IP address, protocol, and more.
• Analyzing Protocols: Describes and displays the details of the various network protocols used in data packets.
• Identifying Issues: Detects network issues, such as high latency, packet loss, and network attacks.
• Forensic Analysis: Assist in network forensic analysis to investigate security incidents.

Usage in Collecting and Analyzing Data Packets

Wireshark can be used to collect and analyze data packets in a variety of contexts, including Wi-Fi hacking. Some common uses include:

• Network Monitoring: Captures all packets passing through the network for analysis and monitoring.
• Analyze Traffic: View the type and amount of traffic that passes through the network to identify suspicious or unusual patterns.
• Collect Handshakes: Capture 4-way handshakes on WPA/WPA2 networks for use in brute-force attacks.
• Identify Encrypted Packets: Locate encrypted packets for further analysis.

Steps to Use Wireshark for Wi-Fi Hacking

Here are the basic steps to use Wireshark in the context of Wi-Fi hacking:

1. To install Wireshark on Linux (for example, Debian-based distributions such as Ubuntu), open a terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install wireshark

2. Enable monitor mode on your Wi-Fi adapter (e.g., wlan0):

sudo airmon-ng start wlan0

3. This will activate monitor mode and change the interface name to wlan0mon.
4. Open Wireshark and select the wlan0mon interface to start capturing data packets.
5. Click the Start button to start capturing packets.
6. Use the Wireshark filter to focus on the relevant packets. For example, to capture EAPOL (4-way handshake) packets on a WPA/WPA2 network, use the filter:

eapol

7. Let Wireshark capture packets until you get a 4-way handshake from the target network. You can recognize this handshake by searching for EAPOL packages on Wireshark.
8. Once you’ve captured the handshake, save the collected data to a file:
   • Click File > Save As and select the pcap or pcapng file format.
9. Use Wireshark to analyze captured packets. You can view the details of each plan, including the source, destination, protocol used, and other information.
10. A pcap or pcapng file containing a handshake can be used with other tools such as Aircrack-ng to perform brute-force attacks:

sudo aircrack-ng -w [wordlist] -b [BSSID] capture.pcap

11. Replace [wordlist] with the path to the list of passwords you want to use, and [BSSID] with the BSSID of the target network.

Usage Examples

Suppose you want to monitor the security of the Wi-Fi network in your office. Using Wireshark, you can capture and analyze traffic that passes through the network. If you detect an EAPOL packet, you can save it and analyze whether there is an attempt to carry out a brute-force attack on your network.

Wireshark can also be used to detect and analyze suspicious activity, such as DDoS attacks, sniffing, or unauthorized devices trying to connect to the network. With these tools, network administrators can ensure that their networks are safe and protected from potential threats.