- How to Secure wireless networks. In minimizing wireless network attacks; an organization can adopt the following policies. Changing default passwords that come with the hardware; Enabling the authentication mechanism; Access to the network can be restricted by allowing only registered MAC addresses.; Use of strong WEP and WPA-PSK keys, a combination of symbols, number and characters reduce.
- It depends on the WiFi encryption type. If it's WPA/WPA2, start here. If it's WEP, start here. Basically, all you need is the MAC address when it comes to cracking WiFi passwords, but once you have control over the router, then knowing the IP is simple and important.
Follow the steps given below to know 'how to hack wifi password on laptop without any software' You need to go on the 'Start' button and type 'cmd' in the search bar. After that select 'Command Prompt' as admin so that you can access it faster. Once are done with the above process you need to type the following command. Netsh wlan show profiles. If someone were trying to hack your WiFi password, there is a good chance you would never be aware that an attempt was made. An unscrupulous individual who understood how to hack WiFi passwords could be using your network to enact their own Internet access or gain entry into your network and electronic resources.
Wireless networks are accessible to anyone within the router’s transmission radius. This makes them vulnerable to attacks. Hotspots are available in public places such as airports, restaurants, parks, etc.
In this tutorial, we will introduce you to common techniques used to exploit weaknesses in wireless network security implementations. We will also look at some of the countermeasures you can put in place to protect against such attacks.
Topics covered in this tutorial
What is a wireless network?
A wireless network is a network that uses radio waves to link computers and other devices together. The implementation is done at the Layer 1 (physical layer) of the OSI model.
How to access a wireless network?
You will need a wireless network enabled device such as a laptop, tablet, smartphones, etc. You will also need to be within the transmission radius of a wireless network access point. Most devices (if the wireless network option is turned on) will provide you with a list of available networks. If the network is not password protected, then you just have to click on connect. If it is password protected, then you will need the password to gain access.
Wireless Network Authentication
Since the network is easily accessible to everyone with a wireless network enabled device, most networks are password protected. Let’s look at some of the most commonly used authentication techniques.
WEP
WEP is the acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy. It was developed for IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards. Its goal was to provide the privacy equivalent to that provided by wired networks. WEP works by encrypting the data been transmitted over the network to keep it safe from eavesdropping.
WEP Authentication
Open System Authentication (OSA) – this methods grants access to station authentication requested based on the configured access policy.
Shared Key Authentication (SKA) – This method sends to an encrypted challenge to the station requesting access. The station encrypts the challenge with its key then responds. If the encrypted challenge matches the AP value, then access is granted.
WEP Weakness
WEP has significant design flaws and vulnerabilities.
- The integrity of the packets is checked using Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC32). CRC32 integrity check can be compromised by capturing at least two packets. The bits in the encrypted stream and the checksum can be modified by the attacker so that the packet is accepted by the authentication system. This leads to unauthorized access to the network.
- WEP uses the RC4 encryption algorithm to create stream ciphers. The stream cipher input is made up of an initial value (IV) and a secret key. The length of the initial value (IV) is 24 bits long while the secret key can either be 40 bits or 104 bits long. The total length of both the initial value and secret can either be 64 bits or 128 bits long.The lower possible value of the secret key makes it easy to crack it.
- Weak Initial values combinations do not encrypt sufficiently. This makes them vulnerable to attacks.
- WEP is based on passwords; this makes it vulnerable to dictionary attacks.
- Keys management is poorly implemented. Changing keys especially on large networks is challenging. WEP does not provide a centralized key management system.
- The Initial values can be reused
Because of these security flaws, WEP has been deprecated in favor of WPA
WPA
WPA is the acronym for Wi-Fi Protected Access. It is a security protocol developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance in response to the weaknesses found in WEP. It is used to encrypt data on 802.11 WLANs. It uses higher Initial Values 48 bits instead of the 24 bits that WEP uses. It uses temporal keys to encrypt packets.
WPA Weaknesses
- The collision avoidance implementation can be broken
- It is vulnerable to denial of service attacks
- Pre-shares keys use passphrases. Weak passphrases are vulnerable to dictionary attacks.
How to Crack Wireless Networks
WEP cracking
Cracking is the process of exploiting security weaknesses in wireless networks and gaining unauthorized access. WEP cracking refers to exploits on networks that use WEP to implement security controls. There are basically two types of cracks namely;
- Passive cracking– this type of cracking has no effect on the network traffic until the WEP security has been cracked. It is difficult to detect.
- Active cracking– this type of attack has an increased load effect on the network traffic. It is easy to detect compared to passive cracking. It is more effective compared to passive cracking.
WEP Cracking Tools
- Aircrack– network sniffer and WEP cracker. Can be downloaded from http://www.aircrack-ng.org/
- WEPCrack– this is an open source program for breaking 802.11 WEP secret keys. It is an implementation of the FMS attack. http://wepcrack.sourceforge.net/
- Kismet- this can include detector wireless networks both visible and hidden, sniffer packets and detect intrusions. https://www.kismetwireless.net/
- WebDecrypt– this tool uses active dictionary attacks to crack the WEP keys. It has its own key generator and implements packet filters. http://wepdecrypt.sourceforge.net/
WPA Cracking
WPA uses a 256 pre-shared key or passphrase for authentications. Short passphrases are vulnerable to dictionary attacks and other attacks that can be used to crack passwords. The following tools can be used to crack WPA keys.
- CowPatty– this tool is used to crack pre-shared keys (PSK) using brute force attack. http://wirelessdefence.org/Contents/coWPAttyMain.htm
- Cain & Abel– this tool can be used to decode capture files from other sniffing programs such as Wireshark. The capture files may contain WEP or WPA-PSK encoded frames. http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Decrypting-Decoding/Cain-and-Abel.shtml
General Attack types
- Sniffing– this involves intercepting packets as they are transmitted over a network. The captured data can then be decoded using tools such as Cain & Abel.
- Man in the Middle (MITM) Attack– this involves eavesdropping on a network and capturing sensitive information.
- Denial of Service Attack– the main intent of this attack is to deny legitimate users network resources. FataJack can be used to perform this type of attack. More on this in article
Cracking Wireless network WEP/WPA keys
It is possible to crack the WEP/WPA keys used to gain access to a wireless network. Doing so requires software and hardware resources, and patience. The success of such attacks can also depend on how active and inactive the users of the target network are.
We will provide you with basic information that can help you get started. Backtrack is a Linux-based security operating system. It is developed on top of Ubuntu. Backtrack comes with a number of security tools. Backtrack can be used to gather information, assess vulnerabilities and perform exploits among other things.
Some of the popular tools that backtrack has includes;
- Metasploit
- Wireshark
- Aircrack-ng
- NMap
- Ophcrack
Cracking wireless network keys requires patience and resources mentioned above. At a minimum, you will need the following tools
A wireless network adapter with the capability to inject packets (Hardware)
- Kali Operating System. You can download it from here https://www.kali.org/downloads/
- Be within the target network’s radius. If the users of the target network are actively using and connecting to it, then your chances of cracking it will be significantly improved.
- Sufficient knowledge of Linux based operating systems and working knowledge of Aircrack and its various scripts.
- Patience, cracking the keys may take a bit of sometime depending on a number of factors some of which may be beyond your control. Factors beyond your control include users of the target network using it actively as you sniff data packets.
How to Secure wireless networks
In minimizing wireless network attacks; an organization can adopt the following policies
- Changing default passwords that come with the hardware
- Enabling the authentication mechanism
- Access to the network can be restricted by allowing only registered MAC addresses.
- Use of strong WEP and WPA-PSK keys, a combination of symbols, number and characters reduce the chance of the keys been cracking using dictionary and brute force attacks.
- Firewall Software can also help reduce unauthorized access.
Hacking Activity: Crack Wireless Password
In this practical scenario, we are going touse Cain and Abel to decode the stored wireless network passwords in Windows. We will also provide useful information that can be used to crack the WEP and WPA keys of wireless networks.
Decoding Wireless network passwords stored in Windows
- Download Cain & Abel from the link provided above.
- Open Cain and Abel
- Ensure that the Decoders tab is selected then click on Wireless Passwords from the navigation menu on the left-hand side
- Click on the button with a plus sign
- Assuming you have connected to a secured wireless network before, you will get results similar to the ones shown below
- The decoder will show you the encryption type, SSID and the password that was used.
Summary
- Wireless network transmission waves can be seen by outsiders, this possesses many security risks.
- WEP is the acronym for Wired Equivalent Privacy. It has security flaws which make it easier to break compared to other security implementations.
- WPA is the acronym for Wi-Fi Protected Access. It has security compared to WEP
- Intrusion Detection Systems can help detect unauthorized access
- A good security policy can help protect a network.
The convenience and flexibility of WiFi networks make them a logical choice when providing Internet access for your home or business. There are a few issues that come along with the mobility that a WiFi network furnishes its users. They are:
Reliability
An Internet connection made with an Ethernet cable is more reliable than a connection made through WiFi. If you use WiFi at all, you have probably experienced the frustration of suddenly losing connectivity. This happens much more frequently with WiFi networks than on a cabled network.
Security
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of using WiFi networks it the security risks posed by a WiFi password hack. If an intruder was compromising your cabled network, there would be physical signs of the unauthorized access. If someone were trying to hack your WiFi password, there is a good chance you would never be aware that an attempt was made. An unscrupulous individual who understood how to hack WiFi passwords could be using your network to enact their own Internet access or gain entry into your network and electronic resources.
Protecting Yourself From a WiFi Hack
We believe that the best way to protect yourself against an intruder who wants to hack your WiFi is to know how to hack a WiFi password yourself. We are going to present a method to do just that by using your Mac computer and a freeware application called KisMAC.
We will be giving you a step-by-step overview of the steps required to use this method and will essentially show you how to hack into WiFi. We are not presenting this information with the intention of allowing others to hack into your Wifi. If that was their intention, there are plenty of other sites that will teach them what they want to know. Our aim is to show that it is feasible that your network could be under attack at this moment without any indication that someone is trying to hack your access password.
It’s better to be armed with this knowledge than to pretend there are no potential dangers inherent in having a wireless network. So let’s take a look at how to hack into WiFi using some simple tools.
How to Hack WiFi Passwords
There are three popular security protocols that can be used to secure your wireless network. They are WEP, WPA, and WPA2. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the weakest of the protocols. WiFi Protected Access (WPA) is stronger, followed by WPA2. All of these methods of securing a wireless network can be subverted using the tools we will describe below.
We again want to emphasize that this information is to inform individuals or network administrators regarding the potential that the security of their wireless network can be compromised. Please don’t take our explanation of how to hack WiFi networks as an invitation to attack nearby targets. To do so is a violation of privacy and can lead to criminal charges.
To break into a secured wireless network you need to know the password. If you don’t have the password, you need to use a method known as a “brute force” attack in order to obtain access to the network. This type of attack is very time-consuming and it is not guaranteed to work.
It preys on the fact that many wireless routers and networks are protected by very weak passwords. In some cases, there is no password or the user simply relies on the default, which can easily be found by knowing the model of the router in question.
Steps to Hack WiFi Passwords
In addition to the aforementioned KisMAC application, you will also use a collection of Linux tools known as Aircrack-ng. You also need a password file that contains the actual password of the network you are attacking. Files containing thousands or millions of the most commonly used passwords are available for download on the Internet.
Hacking a WEP Network
KisMAC is a wireless stumbler and cracker that can perform a number of WiFi related tasks directly from your Mac’s operating system. WEP keys are compromised by a process known as WEP injection where data packets are used to determine the password. Once you have accumulated the necessary amount of data packets, with a minimum being around 200,000 packets, follow this procedure inside of KisMAC:
- Click on Network.
- Select Crack.
- Choose Weak Scheduling Attack.
- Select Against 40-bit.
This should be sufficient to crack the less secure networks protected with WEP security.
Hacking Wifi Passwords For Mac Windows 10
Hacking a WPA/WPA2 Network
It’s not as easy to hack into a WPA wireless network. In order to crack WPA security, you need to obtain a handshake, which occurs when a computer connects to a wireless router. You also make use of a password file which contains a list of passwords in ASCII format. You then use KisMAC to test the handshake against the password file.
- Start KisMAC and choose the network you are attempting to crack.
- Click Network -> Deauthenticate to force connected devices to reconnect to the network.
- You will soon see devices connecting to the network, meaning you have captured a handshake. The information you need will be stored in the KisMAC dump file.
- Now you use Aircrack-ng to run a dictionary attack. This is done with this command: aircrack-ng -w <path to word lists> -e <SSID of the network to be attacked> <path to dumps>.
- Now you wait. If the password is contained in the list, you will eventually gain access to the network though it can take a considerable amount of time. On the other hand, if your word list did not contain the password, you will not be able to access the network.
Brute force attacks take a lot of time and as you can see, rely on the ability of a hacker to reproduce your password. A longer password will make your network substantially more secure. Using a machine that can generate 2 billion distinct keys per second, an 8 character password can be cracked in about 2.6 days, according to password-depot.de. Contrast this with the 7.5 million years required to crack a 12 character password and you can see the sense in using longer passwords.
With this knowledge in hand, the best way to protect your WiFi from hackers is to use a strong password of at least 9 and preferably 12 characters. It’s not as hard as you might think to come up a phrase that is memorable to you and obscure for others to determine. Strong passwords are your best defense against having your wireless network, or any of your electronic devices or information, compromised by unauthorized users. Get on it!
If you are reading this article on a computer or mobile device, you are most likely connected to the Internet. In the span of a few decades, the Internet has become a virtually indispensable tool in navigating through the modern world. We use it to shop at eCommerce websites, connect with others through social media, and for strictly entertainment purposes. A home with no Internet access is essentially cut off from the many benefits afforded by the connectivity it offers to users.
Wireless Internet Hacking Password Software
At one point, the only way to connect your computer to the Internet and achieve high-speed data transfer was with a wired connection to a broadband router. Now we have options, as WiFi offers another method to connect your devices to the Internet. According to parksassociates.com, over 70% of households in the United States that have broadband Internet service obtain that access through a WiFi connection.
There are certainly advantages to employing a WiFi network in your home or business. WiFi allows you to move freely without being concerned about cables or the number of ports on your router. The looming adoption of the Internet of Things and the promise of smart homes and appliances are predicated on the presence of a reliable WiFi network to allow communication between the devices.
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