We have understood what is hacking, and almost all of us have WiFi at home. What is the full form of “WiFi”? For many of us, the acronym stands for “Wireless fidelity”, is a misconception. Though most of us thought it so, for the benefit of one and all, it is simply a trademark phrase meaning IEEE 802.11x and is a wireless technology that provides high-speed wireless internet and network connection. Before we delve further let us try to understand that a hacking attack is of two types, namely Passive and Active attack and the use of some other terminologies like sniffing, WEP and WPA, etc. Passive Attack: It first captures data packets of the network and then tries to recover the password of the network by analysis of the packets, in other words taking information from a system without destroying the information. It is more of monitoring and analysis, whereas Active Attack is when in the process of recovering a password by capturing data packets with either altering or destroying these data packets in other words, taking system information from the system, and then either changing the data or destroying it altogether. Sniffing: is the process of intercepting and inspecting or, in short, monitoring data packets using a device or a software application with the purpose of either stealing information like password, IP Address, or processes that can help any an infiltrator to enter into a network or system. WEP: Is a common type of encryption method used by wireless networks standing for ‘Wireless Equivalent Privacy’ and is not considered very safe nowadays as hackers can easily crack WEP keys. WPA: Is another common encryption method used by wireless networks standing for “WiFi Protected Access” is a Wireless Application Protocol that cannot be easily cracked and is the most secure option as it would require the use of brute force or dictionary attack, in spite of which there would be no surety to crack WPA keys. With the above terminologies in the background, let us now try to find the best WiFi hacking tools for PC in 2020 working on any operating system, be it, Windows, Mac, or Linux. Detailed below are the popular tools used for network troubleshooting and wireless password cracking.
20 Best Wifi Hacking Tools for PC (2020)
1. Aircrack-ng
20 Best Wifi Hacking Tools for PC (2020) 1. Aircrack-ng 2. WireShark 3. Cain & Abel 4. Nmap 5. Metasploit 6. Kismet 7. NetSparker 8. Airsnort 9. Ettercap 10. NetStumbler 11. Kiuwan 12. Nikto 13. Burp Suite 14. John the Ripper 15. Medusa 16. Angry IP Scanner 17. OpenVas 18. SQL Map 19. Intruder 20. Maltego
Aircrack-ng is a well known, free wireless password cracking software written in C-language. This software mainly focuses on a stepwise method of monitoring, attacking, testing, and finally cracking the password. This application uses the standard FMS attack, the Korek attack, and the new PTW attack to optimize its speed, making it an effective WiFi cracking tool. It primarily works on the Linux operating system and supports Windows, OS X, Free BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and even Solaris and eComStation 2 operating systems. The app also supports other wireless adaptors like Live CD and VMWare images. You do not require much expertise and knowledge to use the VMWare image, but it has certain constraints; it works with a limited set of operating systems and supports a limited number of USB devices. The app currently available in English uses data packets to crack the 802.11b network’s WEP and the WPA-PSK keys. It can crack WEP keys using an FMS attack, PTW attack, and dictionary attacks. To crack WPA2-PSK, it uses dictionary attacks. The app lays focus on Replay attacks, de-authentication, fake access points, and much more. It also supports the export of data to a text file. This software can be downloaded using the link http://www.aircrack-ng.org/, and the best part is that in case you do not know how to use the software, you have available online tutorials, provided by the company which has designed this software, where you can learn how to install and use, to crack wireless passwords.
2. WireShark
Wireshark Hacking Tool is an open-source, free data packet analyzer and network procedure analysis software. It is one of the best wifi hacking tool which is very popular among Windows users. This tool enables an understanding of what’s happening on your network at the minutest or microscopic level. It is used for network troubleshooting and analysis, development of software, and communications procedures. It can also be used in educational developmental work. You can use this software to inspect and analyze either online or offline any number of hundreds of protocols and get the best results. It can not only just analyze wireless data but can also pick up and read data from Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB, Token Ring, FDDI, IEEE 802.11, PPP/HDLC, ATM, Frame relay, etc. for analysis. This tool supports multiple Operating systems and can be run using Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and much more. Many commercial organizations, non-profit enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions use it as an existing or de facto standard for detailed inspection across different protocols. It can peruse through captured data using TTY-mode TShark utility or the Graphical User Interface (GUI). It allows communication through graphical icons and audio indicators but does not use a text-based user interface, text navigation, or typed command labels. It has a rich Voice over Internet Protocol i.e., VoIP analysis or, in standard terms, phone service over the Internet, which is possible if you have a good internet connection. This helps you avoid your call through a local phone company tower, which charges more for the same call than a VoIP call. WireShark is also known for the most powerful display features, and it can also capture gzip-compressed files and decompress them during the running of a computer program without interrupting or disrupting the already running program. The app can also be used to decrypt many protocols like IPsec, ISAKMP, Kerberos, SNMPv3, SSL/TLS, WEP, and WPA/WPA2. Using the app, you can also apply different color coding to your list of data packets for a quick and easy to use and understand analysis. It also supports the export of data to a plain text file, PostScript, CVS, or XML. The WireShark hacking tool is considered the best tool for analyzing data packets with good functionality and using the link – https://www. wireshark.org/ you can download this tool for your use.
3. Cain & Abel
Cane & Abel is another popular software in the list of tools to recover Wifi password, which is simply a softer way of using the word hacking. It is named after the children of Adam and Eve, an interesting way of naming by the tool’s developers. An intriguing name, isn’t it? However, let’s leave the naming to the wisdom of the developers and proceed ahead. This tool is used for different versions of Microsoft OS and uses various techniques through the process of investigating and analyzing each data packet individually, and decoding scrambled passwords, or simply by using brute force, dictionary attacks, and cryptanalysis attacks. Using the app you can also examine wireless data and retrieve wireless network keys by detecting cached passwords and analyzing routing security details. A newly added hacking feature is Address Resolution Protocol or the ARP support for detection on switched LANs and MITM attacks. If this is not the end-all, using the Windows WiFi hacking software, you can also record Voice over Internet Protocol i.e., VoIP conversations. This is the recommended and most used tool by security consultants, professional penetration testers, and anyone who plans to use it constructively for ethical purposes and not cheating on anyone for unauthorized password access.
4. Nmap
Nmap is one of the best open-source wifi hacking tool for Windows PC. The abbreviation of Nmap in its expanded form stands for Network Mapper available for Android users. It was designed with the original intention to scan large networks though it can work equally well for single hosts. It is mainly used for network discovery cum management and computer security auditing. Nmap is made available freely on Github using your account and given link https://github.com/kost/NetworkMapper. Most Nmap scanners can also take the help of unofficial Android Frontend to download, install, and use it. The user can, according to his need, redesign, or even modify the software. The App works well for the Smartphone user on both rooted and non-rooted devices. It supports all the major computer operating systems such as Linux operating system, Windows, and Mac OS X. Network admins have found it to be a very useful tool for several tasks like getting to know the network inventory by checking the number of hosts using the network, the type of services being offered by them and the kind of operating system i.e., various versions of operating systems being used to run the activities. This service available free of cost is best used for the scanning of networks. It supports several Operating systems, as indicated above, and keeps an eye on the kinds of data packet filters/firewalls being used and many other attributes/aspects like transferring data using binaries using HTTPS default.
5. Metasploit
Metasploit is a free, open-source, powerful hacking tool owned by Rapid7, a Massachusetts-based security company. This hacking software can test the weaknesses/susceptibility of computer systems or break into the systems. Like many information security tools, Metasploit can be used for both legal and illegal activities. It is a penetration testing software cum cybersecurity tool available both in the free and paid version. It supports the high level general-purpose Japanese programming language called ‘Ruby’ designed in Japan in 1990. You can download the software using the link https://www.metasploit.com. It can be used with a web user interface or a command prompt or link, as mentioned. Also Read: 10 Best Office Apps for Android to Boost Your Productivity The Metasploit tool supports all the central computer operating systems such as Linux system, Windows, Mac OS, open BSD, and Solaris. This hacking tool tests any compromises in system security through spot-checking. It makes a count of the list of all networks carry out attacks by executing necessary penetration tests on networks and also elude getting noticed in the process.
6. Kismet
Kismet is a Wifi-hacking tool used to find and identify wireless devices. The word in Arabic means ‘division’. On a lighter note, Kismet, in the Indian national language Hindi, is often used when something of importance comes into your life entirely by chance or by fate. This tool identifies networks by passively detecting and disclosing hidden networks, if in use. Technically speaking in terms of hacking, it is a data packet sensor, which is a network and intrusion detection system for 802.11 layer-2 wireless local area networks i.e., 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n traffic. This software works with any WiFi card that supports from mode and is built on client/server modular design or framework. It supports all operating systems such as Linux system, Windows, Mac OS, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD. It can also run on Microsoft Windows and many other platforms. Using the link http://www.kismetwireless.net/ the software can be downloaded without any problem. Kismet also supports channel hopping, implying that it can continuously change from one channel to another without following any sequence, as defined by the software user. Since the adjacent channels overlap, it enables capturing more data packets, which is an additional advantage of this software.
7. NetSparker
NetSparker is a web application used for security scanning and ethical hacking issues. Due to its proof-based scanning technology, it is considered a highly accurate weakness detection technique. It is an easy to use security scanner software that can automatically find susceptibilities that can be exploited to put the user’s sensitive data at risk. It can easily find weaknesses like SQL Injection, XSS or Cross-Site Scripting and Remote File Inclusions, and other web applications, web services, and web APIs. So the first thing first, you have to secure your web activities using NetSparker. It can scroll through all modern and custom web applications regardless of the platform or technology they have used. The same applies to your web servers, whether you are using Microsoft ISS or Apache and Nginx on Linux. It can scan them for all security issues. It is available in two versions either as a built-in penetration testing and reporting tool in Microsoft Windows applications or an online service to enable its use for scanning of thousands of other websites and web applications in just 24 hours. This scanner supports AJAX and Java-based applications like HTML 5, Web 2.0, and Single Page Applications (SPAs), allowing the team to take quick remedial action on the identified issue. In a nutshell, it’s an excellent tool to overcome all involved security risks in thousands of web sites and applications in a quick time.
8. Airsnort
AirSnort is another popular wireless LAN or WiFi password cracking software. This software developed by Blake Hegerle and Jeremy Bruestle comes free of cost with Linux and Windows operating systems. It is used to decrypt WEP Keys/encryption or password of a WiFi 802.11b network. This tool can be downloaded from Sourceforge using the link http://sourceforge.net/projects/airsnort and works on data packets. It first captures data packets of the network and then tries to recover the password of the network by analysis of the packets. In other words, it undertakes a passive attack i.e., works by simply monitoring the transmission of the data and tries to gain information or quantify the encryption or password keys on receipt of an adequate quantity of data packets without destroying the data. It is plainly monitoring and recognition of the information. AirSnort is a simple tool to crack WEP passwords. It is available under the GNU general public license and is free. Though the software is functional but has been no longer maintained for the last three years, no further development has occurred.
9. Ettercap
Ettercap is an open-source and best Wifi hacking tool for PC that supports cross-platform application, implying that when you can use a particular application on multiple computers or multiple applications on a single system. It can be used for the ‘man-in-the-middle attack’ on the Local area network i.e., the data sent across the LAN gets also sent to each device connected to the LAN in between the sender and the receiver. This hacking tool supports various operating systems, including Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, and Microsoft Windows. Using this system, you can undertake security audits to check for any loopholes and plug the security leaks before any mishap. It can also analyze the network protocol by checking all the rules governing data transfer amongst all devices in the same network irrespective of their design or internal process. This tool allows for custom plug-ins or add-ons that add features to the already present software program as per your customary needs and requirements. It also enables content filtering and enables sniffing of HTTP SSL secured data by intercepting and inspecting the data to counter the stealing of passwords, IP addresses, any protected information, etc.
10. NetStumbler
NetStumbler, also known as Network Stumbler, is a well-known, free to acquire tools available to find open wireless ingress points. It runs on Microsoft Windows operating systems from Windows 2000 to Windows XP and enables detection of 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g wireless networks. It also has a trimmed down version of itself known as the MiniStumbler. This tool has not been developed for almost 15years since the last release in 2005. Its trimmed-down version can be used with the operating systems in handheld Consumer Electronic devices like the CD, DVD players, stereos, TVs, home theatres, handheld computers or laptops, and any other audio and video equipment. Once you run the tool, it automatically starts to scan the wireless networks around, and once completed; you will see the complete list of networks in the vicinity. It is, therefore, basically used for wardriving, which is a process of mapping WiFi networks in a locally specified area and is also known as access point mapping. You can also detect unauthorized access points in the specified area of concern using this tool. It also helps find locations with low network and can also support in verifying network configurations like Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, Microsoft Windows, and many more. The drawback of this hacking software is that it can be easily sensed by any wireless detection system or device if working in the vicinity, and also this tool also does not work accurately with the latest 64 Bit operating system. Lastly, the tool can be downloaded using the link http://www.stumbler.net/ for those interested in using it.
11. Kiuwan
This is a liability scanner software that maps the area underscan for wireless networks and intercepts them to accesses the gullibility to hack/steal a password, IP addresses, and any other information. Once those networks are identified, it automatically begins its action to redress these liabilities. The tool also caters to the Integrated Development Environment, a software program that provides exhaustive facilities to users to perform various functions like code editing, debugging, text editing, project editing, output viewing, resource monitoring, and many more. The IDE programs, e.g., NetBeans, Eclipse, IntelliJ, Visual studio, Webstorm, Phpstorm, etc. help provide feedback during software development. Kiuwan also makes provisions for twenty plus programming languages like Java, C/C++, Javascript, PHP, JSP, and many more for desktops, webs, and mobile apps. It is known to meet the most rigorous industry standards, including OWASP, CWE, SANS 25, HIPPA, WASC, ISO/IEC 25000, PCI, ISO/IEC 9126, and more, making it a highly favored tool. Kiuwan multi-technology scan engine also through its ‘Insights’ tool reports on weakness in the wireless networks in open source components besides managing license compliance. This code review tool offers a free trial and single time use for hackers at a cost for once-in-a-while hackers. For the many reasons indicated, it is regarded amongst the leading hacking tools in the industry.
12. Nikto
Nikto is another open-source web scanner cum hacking cum testing tool which undertakes comprehensive tests against specified web servers or remote hosts. It scans multiple items like 6700 potentially dangerous files, issues related to many outdated servers, and any version-specific concerns of many servers. This hacking tool is a part of Kali Linux distribution with a simple command-line interface. Nikto enables checks for configurations like HTTP server options or identification of installed web servers and software. It also detects default installation files like any multiple index files and frequently auto-updates scan items and plug-ins. The tool houses many other customary Linux distributions like Fedora in its software arsenal. It also executes a Cross-Site Scripting susceptibility test to check if the untrusted outside source is allowed to inject its malicious code into the user’s web application to hacking his WiFi. Also Read: 3 Ways to Share Wi-Fi Access without revealing Password It also undertakes dictionary-based brute attacks to enable WiFi hacking, and using LibWhisker IDS encoding techniques can evade intrusion detection systems. It can log-in and integrate with the Metasploit framework. All reviews and reports are saved in a text file, XML, HTML, NBE, and CSV file formats. This tool supports basic PERL installation and can be used on Windows, Mac, Linux, and UNIX systems. It can be using Headers, favicons, and files to identify the installed software. It is a good penetration tool that makes vulnerability testing easy on any victim or target.
13. Burp Suite
This WiFi hacking tool has been developed by PortSwigger Web Security and is a Java-based penetration testing tool. It helps you to identify the weakness or susceptibilities in the wireless networks. It is available in three versions, i.e., the Community version, the professional version, and the Enterprise version, each priced differently based on your requirement. The community version is available free of cost, while the professional version costs $399 per user per year, and the Enterprise version costs $3999 per year. The free version has in itself a limited functionality but is good enough for use. The community version is an all-in-one set of tools with essential manual tools. Still, to enhance the functionality, you can install add-ons called BApps, upgrading to higher versions with enhanced functionality at higher costs as indicated against each version above. Amongst the various features available in the Burp Suite WiFi hacking tool, it can scan for 100 types of widespread weakness or susceptibilities. You can even schedule and repeat scanning. It was the first tool to provide Out-Of-Band Application Security Testing (OAST). The tool checks on each weakness and provides detailed advice for the specifically reported weakness of the tool. It also caters to CI or Continuous Integration testing. Overall, it is a good web security testing tool.
14. John the Ripper
John the Ripper is an open-source, free of cost WiFi hacking tool for password cracking. This tool has the proficiency to conjoin several password crackers into one package making it one of the most popular cracking tools for hackers. It performs dictionary attacks and can also make necessary alterations to it to enable password cracking. These alterations can be in single attack mode by modifying a related plaintext (such as a username with an encrypted password) or checking the variations against the hashes. It also uses the Brute force mode for cracking passwords. It caters to this method for those passwords that do not appear in dictionary wordlists, but it takes a longer time to crack them. It was originally designed for the UNIX operating system to detect weak UNIX passwords. This tool supports fifteen different operating systems, which include eleven different versions of UNIX and other Operating systems like Windows, DOS, BeOS, and Open VMS. This tool automatically detects password hash types and work as a customizable password cracker. We observe that this WiFi hacking tool can crack various types of encrypted password formats, including hash type crypt passwords often found on multiple UNIX versions. This tool is known for its speed and is, in fact, a fast password cracking tool. As suggested by its name, it rips through the password and cracks it open in no time. It can be downloaded from _John the Ripper website.
15. Medusa
The name Medusa, in Greek mythology, was the daughter of the Greek deity Phorcys portrayed as a winged female with snakes in place of hair and was cursed to turn into stone anyone who looked into her eyes. In the above context, the name of one of the best online WiFi hacking tools seems quite a misnomer. The tool designed by the foofus.net website members is a brute force hacking tool, available to download from the internet. A number of services that support remote authentication are supported by the Medusa hacking tool. The tool has been devised so that it allows thread-based parallel testing, which is an automatic software testing process that can initiate multiple tests against multiple hosts, users, or passwords at the same time to verify the key functional capabilities of a specific task. The purpose of this test is time-saving. Another key feature of this tool is its flexible user input, wherein the target input can be specified in various ways. Each input can be either a single input or multiple inputs in a single file, giving the user the flexibility to create customizations and shortcuts to hasten his performance. In using this crude hacking tool, its core applications need not be modified to compound the list of services for brute force attacks. In the device, all service modules exist as independent .mod file making it a modular design application.
16. Angry IP Scanner
It is one of the best Wifi hacking tool for PC for scanning IP addresses and ports. It can scan both local networks as well as the internet. It’s free to use the WiFi hacking tool, which does not require any installation by virtue of which it can be effortlessly copied and used anywhere. This cross-platform software can support multiple software platforms, which may be operating systems like Blackberry, Android, and iOS for smartphones and tablet computers or cross-platform programs like Microsoft Windows, Java, Linux, macOS, Solaris, etc. The Angry IP Scanner application enables a command-line interface (CLI), a text-based user interface used to view and manage computer files. This lightweight application is written and maintained by Anton Keks, a software expert, the co-owner of a software development organization. This tool can save and export the results in several formats like CSV, TXT, XML, etc. You can also file in any format using this tool or randomly access the data, there is no sequence of events, and you can jump directly from point A to point Z without going through the proper sequence. The scanning tool simply pings each IP address by sending a signal in order to determine the status of every IP address, resolve a hostname, scan ports, etc. The data thus collected about each host can then be expanded in one or more paragraphs to explain any complexities using plug-ins. This tool uses a separate scanning thread for every single IP address scanned using a multi-threaded approach to increase its scanning speed. With many data fetchers, this tool allows the addition of new capabilities and functionality to enhance its performance. It is overall a good tool with a number of features for its users.
17. OpenVas
A well known comprehensive vulnerability assessment procedure is also known by its old name “Nessus”. It is an open-source system that can detect any host’s security issues, whether a server or a network device such as PCs, laptops, smartphones, etc. As stated, this tool’s primary function is to perform detailed scanning, starting with the port scan of an IP address to detect if anyone is listening to what you are typing. If detected, these listening are tested for vulnerabilities, and the results are compiled into a report for necessary action. OpenVAS Hacking Tool can scan multiple hosts simultaneously with the ability to stop, pause, and resume scan tasks. It can undertake more than 50,000 susceptibility tests and show the results in plain text, XML, HTML, or latex formats. This tool advocates False-positive management and posting any false positive to its mailing list results in immediate feedback. It can also schedule scans, has a powerful command-line interface, and composite Nagios monitoring software besides graphics and statistics generation methods. This tool supports Linux, UNIX, and Windows operating systems. Being a powerful web-based interface, this tool is very popular amongst administrators, developers, and certified information systems, security professionals. The major function of these experts is to detect, prevent document, and counter threats to digital information.
18. SQL Map
The SQL Map tool is open source python software that automatically enables detecting and exploiting SQL injection flaws and taking over of database servers. SQL Injection attacks are one of the oldest, most pervading, and highly dangerous web application risks. There are various types of SQL Injection attacks like the in-band SQLi, blind SQLi, and out-of-band SQLi. An SQL injection occurs when you unknowingly ask for and run a user input like their username or user-id rather than a simple name/id on your database. Hackers using the SQL injection method can bypass all security measures on web applications using an SQL database such as MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, or others and recover all the contents like personal data, trade secrets, intellectual property, any other information and even add, modify or delete records in the database. The hackers also employ dictionary-based password cracking techniques and can also undertake the user enumeration attack by using brute-force techniques on web application weaknesses. This method is used to recover the valid username from a web application or where user authentication is required. You can also store your information in your database, dumb, known as the mysqldump tool. This tool is used to back-up a database so that its contents can be restored in the event of data loss and is located in the root/bin directory of the MySQL installation directory. It enables the back-up of your information through the generation of a text file that contains SQL statements that can re-create the databases from now or scratch.
19. Intruder
The intruder is a cloud-based vulnerability scanner built by experienced security professionals. This hacking tool locates cybersecurity weaknesses in your digital infrastructure to avoid costly data breaches. The intruder also coalesces with major cloud providers like Slack and Jira for project tracking. This system has more than 9000 security checks available, which are up for use to all types and sizes of companies interested to overcome the weaknesses in their cybersecurity. In the process of checking, it looks to identify incorrect security configurations and removes the errors in the execution of these security controls. It also keeps a check on common web application contentions like SQL injection and cross-site scripting so that you can do your work without the fear of anyone ripping into your work and severing it. It proactively works on your system, checking for any latest risks and clears them using its remedies so that you can peacefully continue with your working. So what is the difference between a hacker and an intruder? Their aim or goal is to break the weaker network security systems to steal information. The hacker is a mastermind in the art of programming to hacking into programs that work and can be termed as a ‘computer criminal’ whereas intruders are those who, through their continuous network scanning programs are aware of weaknesses in the system and networks and ultimately exploit them to breach into networks and information systems.
20. Maltego
Maltego is a tool for link analysis and data mining, which helps you locate the network’s weak points and abnormalities. It works on real-time data mining and information collection. It is available in three versions. Maltego CE, the community version, is available free of cost, whereas the Maltego classic is available at a price of $999, and the third version, the Maltego XL, is available at the cost of $1999. Both the priced versions are available for the desktop user. There is another product of Maltego for the webserver, namely CTAS, ITDS, and Comms, which includes training and has an initial price of $40000. Recommended: 15 Best WiFi Hacking Apps For Android (2020) This tool provides data on node-based graphical patterns, whereas Maltego XL can work with large graphs, providing graphic pictures highlighting the weaknesses and abnormalities in the network to enable easy hacking by using the highlighted susceptibilities. This tool supports Windows, Linux, and Mac Operating Systems. Maltego also provides an on-line training course, and you are given three months to complete the course, during which you are eligible to access all new videos and updates. Upon completing all exercises and lessons, you will be given a certificate of participation by Maltego. That’s it, we hope that this list of 20 best WiFi hacking tools for Windows 10 PC was helpful. Now you will be able to access the wireless network without knowing its password, basically for learning purposes. The password cracking time may vary depending on the complexity and length of the passwords. Please note hacking wireless networks to get unauthorized access is a cyber-crime, and it is advised to refrain from doing so as it may lead to legal complications and risks.
