CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes

CompTIA Security+ Exam Notes
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Monday, October 13, 2025

Inside Aircrack-ng: Cracking WEP and WPA/WPA2 with Open-Source Tools

 Aircrack-ng

What Is Aircrack-ng?
Aircrack-ng is a powerful suite of tools used for auditing wireless networks. It focuses on Wi-Fi security, allowing users to monitor, attack, test, and crack wireless protocols—primarily WEP and WPA/WPA2-PSK.

It’s widely used by penetration testers, network administrators, and security researchers to assess the strength of wireless encryption and identify vulnerabilities.

Components of Aircrack-ng Suite
Aircrack-ng includes several tools, each with a specific function:


How Aircrack-ng Works
1. Enable Monitor Mode
Use airmon-ng to put your wireless adapter into monitor mode:

2. Capture Packets
Use airodump-ng to scan and capture packets:

You’ll see nearby networks, their encryption type, signal strength, and connected clients.

3. Target a Network
Focus on a specific network and save packets:


4. Generate Traffic (Optional)
Use aireplay-ng to deauthenticate clients and force reconnection:

 
5. Crack the Key
Use aircrack-ng to crack the password using the .cap file:


Supported Encryption Types
  • WEP: Easily cracked using statistical attacks.
  • WPA/WPA2-PSK: Requires a handshake capture and dictionary or brute-force attack.
Ethical Use & Legal Warning
Aircrack-ng should only be used on networks you own or have explicit permission to test. Unauthorized use is illegal and unethical.

Use Cases
  • Penetration Testing
  • Security Audits
  • Educational Purposes
  • Network Troubleshooting

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