Aircrack-ng
A complete suite of tools to assess WiFi network security.
Overview
Aircrack-ng is a suite of tools for auditing wireless networks. It focuses on different areas of WiFi security: monitoring (capturing packets and exporting data), attacking (replay attacks, deauthentication, creating fake access points), testing (checking WiFi cards and driver capabilities), and cracking (WEP and WPA PSK).
✨ Key Features
- Packet capture and sniffing
- WEP and WPA/WPA2-PSK key cracking
- Deauthentication attacks
- Fake access point creation
- Packet injection
- Analysis of wireless protocols
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Comprehensive suite of tools covering multiple aspects of WiFi security.
- Long-standing reputation as the go-to tool for WEP/WPA cracking.
- Command-line driven, making it highly scriptable.
Unique Value: Provides a complete, powerful, and free suite of tools for assessing the security of WiFi networks from the ground up.
🎯 Use Cases (3)
✅ Best For
- Testing the strength of a WPA/WPA2 password by capturing a handshake and running a dictionary attack.
- Auditing a wireless network for vulnerabilities.
- Cracking legacy WEP-protected networks.
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Wired network exploitation.
- Web application security.
- Enterprise WPA2 (e.g., 802.1x) attacks.
🏆 Alternatives
While other tools may specialize in one area (like Hashcat for pure cracking speed), Aircrack-ng provides the entire framework from packet capture to the final crack, making it a one-stop-shop for WiFi pen testing.
💻 Platforms
✅ Offline Mode Available
💰 Pricing
Free tier: The tool is completely free and open-source.
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