Airodump-ng is a powerful tool in the aircrack-ng suite that allows you to capture and analyze wireless network packets. It is commonly used for network troubleshooting, security auditing, and penetration testing. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of using Airodump-ng for targeted packet sniffing in Linux.
Step 1: Install Aircrack-ng
The first step is to install the Aircrack-ng suite on your Linux machine. Open a terminal and run the following command:
sudo apt-get install aircrack-ng
This will install Aircrack-ng along with its dependencies.
Step 2: Put Your Wireless Card into Monitor Mode
In order to capture network packets, your wireless card needs to be in monitor mode. To do this, run the following command:
sudo airmon-ng start wlan0
Replace ‘wlan0‘ with the name of your wireless interface. This command will create a new interface called ‘mon0‘ in monitor mode.
Step 3: Start Airodump-ng
Now that your wireless card is in monitor mode, you can start Airodump-ng to capture packets. Run the following command:
sudo airodump-ng mon0
This will start Airodump-ng and display a list of wireless networks in range. Take note of the channel and BSSID of the network you want to target.
Step 4: Target a Specific Network
To target a specific network, you can use the following command:
sudo airodump-ng --bssid <BSSID> -c <channel> -w <output_file> mon0
Replace ‘<BSSID>‘, ‘<channel>‘, and ‘<output_file>‘ with the BSSID, channel, and desired output file name respectively. This command will capture packets only from the specified network and write them to the output file in pcap format.
Step 5: Analyze the Captured Packets
Once you have captured enough packets, you can analyze them using tools like Wireshark or Aircrack-ng. These tools allow you to view the captured data, identify network vulnerabilities, and perform further analysis.
Airodump-ng is a versatile tool that can be used for targeted packet sniffing in Linux. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can effectively capture and analyze wireless network packets for various purposes. Remember to always use this tool responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.