Full Report
coWPAtty is a C-based tool for running a brute-force dictionary attack against WPA-PSK and audit pre-shared WPA keys. If you are auditing WPA-PSK networks, you can use this tool to identify weak passphrases that were used to generate the PMK. Supply a libpcap capture file that includes the 4-way handshake, a dictionary file of passphrases […]
Analysis Summary
# Tool/Technique: coWPAtty
## Overview
coWPAtty is a C-based utility designed to perform an offline brute-force dictionary attack against WPA/WPA2 Pre-Shared Key (PSK) authentication mechanisms. Its primary purpose is to audit WPA-PSK networks by attempting to crack weak passphrases used to generate the Pairwise Master Key (PMK).
## Technical Details
- Type: Tool
- Platform: Likely Linux/Unix-like systems (indicated by C-based compilation and references to standard tools like `libpcap`).
- Capabilities: Executes offline dictionary attacks against WPA 4-way handshakes, supports precomputed PMK enhancement, can accept input via STDIN.
- First Seen: The article is dated December 20, 2017, referencing the tool's existence.
## MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
- T1560.003 - Archive Collected Data: **Data from Digital Media** (Indirectly, as it uses collected capture data)
- T1003 - OS Credential Dumping: **OS Credential Dumping**(Indirectly, as it tries to recover keys/passwords)
- T1557.001 - Man-in-the-Middle: **Man-in-the-Middle** (Network sniffing is a prerequisite for obtaining the required capture file)
*(Note: Since coWPAtty is an auditing/post-exploitation password cracking tool rather than an initial access implant, the mapping focuses on related adversary actions involving credential recovery.)*
## Functionality
### Core Capabilities
- **Offline Dictionary Attack:** Performs brute-force dictionary attacks specifically against WPA/WPA2 PSK authentication.
- **Input Requirement:** Requires a `libpcap` capture file containing the necessary 4-way handshake, a dictionary file of passphrases, and the target Network SSID.
- **PMK Assessment:** Identifies weak passphrases that result in a successfully calculated PMK for offline cracking.
### Advanced Features
- **PMK Acceleration:** Can utilize a precomputed PMK file for the target SSID to accelerate the cracking process.
- **STDIN Integration:** Capable of reading dictionary words directly from standard input (STDIN), enabling chaining with tools like John the Ripper for generating complex word permutations and rulesets.
## Indicators of Compromise
- File Hashes: N/A (Specific hashes for the distribution file `cowpatty-2.0.tgz` are not provided.)
- File Names: `cowpatty`, `cowpatty-r`, `cowpatty-h` (command execution names)
- Registry Keys: N/A
- Network Indicators: N/A (This is an offline tool; network indicators are relevant only for the initial data collection phase, such as monitoring for DHCP/authentication traffic during the 4-way handshake capture).
- Behavioral Indicators:
- Execution of a binary named `cowpatty` referencing `.dump` or `.pcap` files combined with dictionary files.
- High CPU utilization during intensive calculations, especially when processing large wordlists or using complex John the Ripper permutations.
## Associated Threat Actors
The article positions coWPAtty as an ethical hacking/auditing tool. It is commonly associated with penetration testers, security researchers, and potentially malicious actors seeking to compromise poorly secured WPA-PSK wireless networks. No specific threat actor groups are named in the context provided.
## Detection Methods
- Signature-based detection: Signatures targeting the `cowpatty` executable file name or known binaries on a system if used in a forensic or red team context.
- Behavioral detection: Monitoring file I/O operations involving large dictionary files (`-f` option) being rapidly processed alongside captured network traces (`-r` option).
- YARA rules: Not specified in the text.
## Mitigation Strategies
- **Strong Passphrase Implementation:** Enforcing strong, complex, and long WPA/WPA2 passphrases, as the tool relies on dictionary attacks based on human-chosen words.
- **Network Hardening:** Utilizing WPA2-Enterprise (802.1X) authentication over PSK whenever possible, as this requires individual user credentials validated via RADIUS, mitigating the effectiveness of static PSK cracking.
- **Monitoring:** Monitoring for unauthorized use of wireless capture tools (`wireshark`, `tcpdump`, etc.) to acquire handshakes.
## Related Tools/Techniques
- aircrack-ng (WEP and WPA-PSK Key Cracking Program)
- John the Ripper (Used in conjunction for permutation generation via STDIN)
- Reaver (Targets WPS PINs, a different Wi-Fi vulnerability)
- wifite (Mass Wi-Fi cracking tool that may utilize coWPAtty or similar components)