2025-08-05 – 22:00-02:00 (Africa/Abidjan), Pearl
In Wi-Fi-So-Serious, we will explore setting up and troubleshooting our 802.11 assessment rig. Then we will look at passive reconnaissance and cracking different Wi-Fi security protocols. Using the Kali Linux VM we will setup our 802.11 cards in monitor mode and see how to set them up to collect PCAPs. Troubleshoot drivers and common Linux commands needed for troubleshooting the cards. We will work with command line tools such as iw, iwconfig, hostapd, wpa_cli, wpa_supplicant and others. Next move on to passive collections and common Wireshark display filters. Finishing up the lecture portion of the class with cracking common 802.11 security protocols using such tools as Aircrack-ng, Wifite, Airgeddon, Reaver, and Wacker. And finally, we will finish out the workshop with a Capture The Flag (CTF) so all participants can apply what we have learned during the workshop. The participants will also learn how to setup a lab that they can take home with them.
Wi-Fi-So-Serious is a beginner-friendly course teaching the basics of 802.11, common Wi-Fi troubleshooting, command-line tools, network reconnaissance, and attacks against common Wi-Fi security protocols. It wraps up with a hands-on CTF to apply the learned skills.
Practical Troubleshooting Skills:
Participants will learn:
Common Wi-Fi Issues: Identifying and understanding typical connectivity problems, such as signal interference, authentication failures, and dropped connections.
Troubleshooting Methodologies: Developing a systematic approach to diagnose Wi-Fi issues, including checking physical connections and analyzing network configurations.
Basic Troubleshooting Tools: Getting introduced to software or built-in operating system tools that can help analyze Wi-Fi environments and identify problems.
Network Reconnaissance:
Understanding the surrounding wireless environment is a key step in both network management and security testing. The course will cover methods for:
Passive Scanning: Detecting and gathering information about Wi-Fi networks without actively interacting with them. This includes identifying SSIDs, BSSIDs, supported data rates, and security protocols.
Active Scanning: Probing networks to gather more detailed information, potentially revealing hidden networks or vulnerabilities.
PCAP Analysis: Using Wireshark to extract information from PCAP files.
Attacking Common 802.11 Security Protocols and cracking:
Open/OWE: Coffee Shop attacks and recon
WPS/Wi-Fi Direct: An overview and look at useful tools for attacking WPS and Wi-Fi Direct.
WEP: Understanding the historical weaknesses of WEP and how it can be easily cracked using readily available tools.
WPA/WPA2: Exploring the vulnerabilities in WPA and WPA2, including handshake capture and password cracking techniques (e.g., dictionary attacks, brute-force attacks).
WPA3: An overview of the improvements in WPA3 and its resistance to some of the older attack methods. Participants will learn how to attack WPA3 by leveraging transition mode.
EAP: A high level overview, recon, and basics of EAP network attacks
Hands-On CTF:
The course culminates in a CTF, which is an invaluable way for participants to solidify their learning in a practical and engaging manner. The CTF will involve a series of challenges where participants need to use what they have learned during the class.
What to Bring:
Students should bring a laptop with at least 8GB of ram. VMware or VirtualBox already installed. Students should have the provided VM loaded as well.
Students should also bring a Wi-Fi card that is capable of monitor mode and packet injection. Recommended card: AWUS036ACM
James Hawk (He/Him) is a Principal Consultant with Google Public Sector, within Proactive Services. He is the wireless subject matter expert for his team. James has led and contributed to numerous assessments (Red Teams and Pen Tests). He has developed internal training and tool updates for 802.11 for his company. James is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army and has over 15 years of hands-on experience in wireless technologies. James is always researching/testing 802.11 attacks against his home lab. He is a fan of hockey, LetterKenny, and almost anything Sci-Fi.