The line-up of vulnerable devices remains unconfirmed, though tests have already been carried out.

Steube said that “most modern routers” using IEEE 802.11i/p/q/r protocols with roaming functions enabled would be exploitable. WPA3, the next-gen wireless security protocol, remains secure. Jens Steube, Hashcat’s creator, said the approach was “discovered accidentally while looking for new ways to attack the new WPA3 security standard”. The new tactic only works against WPA and WPA2-secured Wi-Fi networks with PMKID-based roaming features enabled.

The RSN IE (Robust Security Network Information Element) of a single EAPOL frame can then brute-force decrypted with Hashcat to derive the PMKID (the key used to set-up a connection between a user and an access point), and from that WPA PSK (Pre-Shared Key) passwords. Instead of capturing the four-way handshake used to authenticate users onto a wireless access point, the new approach only relies on capturing a particular data packet. The team behind password-cracking tool Hashcat have hit on a fresh method to reccover wireless network credentials quicker and without the need for someone to log onto a target network. Ageing security protocol showing its cracksĬracking the passwords of some WPA2-protected WiFi networks has been simplified in a development that independent experts have said ought to spur adoption of the latest wireless security technologies.

Crack wpa2 password