Aircrack-ng
Crack WEP/WPA-PSK keys from captures.
KaliParrothigh
pkg: aircrack-ng
Aircrack-ng is the cracking component of the aircrack suite, recovering WEP keys and WPA/WPA2 PSKs from captured handshakes.
Syntax
aircrack-ng -w {wordlist} {capture.cap}
Example
aircrack-ng -w rockyou.txt capture.cap
Attempts to recover the WPA passphrase from the captured handshake using the wordlist.
Options & flags
What each switch does. Toggle them in the builder below to assemble a command.
Command builder
Tick options (and fill any values) to build a ready-to-copy command.
aircrack-ng CAPTURE.cap
Usage examples
aircrack-ng -w rockyou.txt capture.cap
Crack a WPA handshake from a capture.
aircrack-ng -b AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -w rockyou.txt capture.cap
Target a single AP in the capture.
Advantages
- Industry-standard Wi-Fi cracking
- Part of a full capture/attack suite
- GPU offload via hashcat conversion
Disadvantages
- Needs a captured handshake first
- WPA cracking is dictionary-bound
- Requires monitor-mode hardware
Tags
#wifi#wpa#cracking
Official docs: Aircrack-ng ↗
Related commands
Frequently asked questions
What is Aircrack-ng used for?
Aircrack-ng is the cracking component of the aircrack suite, recovering WEP keys and WPA/WPA2 PSKs from captured handshakes.
What is an example Aircrack-ng command?
A common example is: aircrack-ng -w rockyou.txt capture.cap — Attempts to recover the WPA passphrase from the captured handshake using the wordlist.
Is Aircrack-ng part of Kali Linux?
Yes. Aircrack-ng ships with Kali Linux (and Parrot OS). If missing, install it with: sudo apt install aircrack-ng.
What category of security tool is Aircrack-ng?
Aircrack-ng is a Wireless Attacks tool with a high-risk profile when run against a live target.
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