performing-wifi-password-cracking-with-aircrack

name	performing-wifi-password-cracking-with-aircrack
description	Captures WPA/WPA2 handshakes and performs offline password cracking using aircrack-ng, hashcat, and dictionary attacks during authorized wireless security assessments to evaluate passphrase strength and wireless network security posture.
domain	cybersecurity
subdomain	network-security
tags	["network-security","wifi","aircrack-ng","wpa2","wireless-security"]
version	1.0
author	mahipal
license	Apache-2.0
nist_csf	["PR.IR-01","DE.CM-01","ID.AM-03","PR.DS-02"]
mitre_attack	["T1046","T1040","T1557","T1071","T1591"]

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

# 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
# Mode should show "Monitor"

# Alternatively, enable monitor mode manually
sudo ip link set wlan0 down
sudo iw dev wlan0 set type monitor
sudo ip link set wlan0 up

Step 2: Scan for Target Networks

# Scan all channels for access points
 airodump-ng wlan0mon












 airodump-ng wlan0mon --channel 6 --bssid AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -w capture