wpa_supplicant

wpa_supplicant is a free software implementation of an IEEE 802.11i supplicant for Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, QNX, AROS, Microsoft Windows, Solaris, OS/2 (including ArcaOS and eComStation)[2] and Haiku.[3] In addition to being a WPA3 and WPA2 supplicant, it also implements WPA and older wireless LAN security protocols.

wpa_supplicant

Screenshot of wpa_gui
Developer(s)	Jouni Malinen and others
Initial release	April 5, 2003
Stable release	2.10[1] / January 16, 2022; 8 months ago
Repository	w1.fi/hostap.git
Written in	C
Operating system	Cross-platform
Type	WLAN tools
License	BSD
Website	w1.fi/wpa_supplicant/

Contents

• 1Features
• 2Vulnerability to KRACK
• 3See also
• 4References
• 5External links

Features[edit]

Features include:[4]

• WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK ("WPA-Personal", pre-shared key)
• WPA3[5]
• WPA with EAP ("WPA-Enterprise", for example with RADIUS authentication server)
• RSN: PMKSA caching, pre-authentication
• IEEE 802.11r
• IEEE 802.11w
• Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)

Included with the supplicant are a GUI and a command-line utility for interacting with the running supplicant. From either of these interfaces it is possible to review a list of currently visible networks, select one of them, provide any additional security information needed to authenticate with the network (for example, a passphrase, or username and password) and add it to the preference list to enable automatic reconnection in the future.[6]

The graphical user interface is built on top of the Qt library.

wpa_supplicant can authenticate with any of the following EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) methods: EAP-TLS, EAP-PEAP (both PEAPv0 and PEAPv1), EAP-TTLS, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA, EAP-AKA', EAP-pwd, EAP-EKE, EAP-PSK (experimental), EAP-FAST, EAP-PAX, EAP-SAKE, EAP-GPSK, EAP-IKEv2, EAP-MD5, EAP-MSCHAPv2, and LEAP (requires special functions in the driver).[6]

Vulnerability to KRACK[edit]

wpa_supplicant was especially susceptible to KRACK, as it can be manipulated to install an all-zeros encryption key, effectively nullifying WPA2 protection in a man-in-the-middle attack.[7] Version 2.7 fixed KRACK and several other vulnerabilities.

See also[edit]

• Free and open-source software portal

• NetworkManager
• Supplicant
• Wireless supplicant
• Xsupplicant

References[edit]

1. ^ "Index of /releases". w1.fi. 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
2. ^ "wpa_supplicant". Retrieved 2020-09-03.
3. ^ haiku/wpa_supplicant, Haiku, 2019-03-17, retrieved 2020-03-07
4. ^ "wpa_supplicant(8) - Linux man page". Retrieved 2020-03-07.
5. ^ "wpa_supplicant". wiki.archlinux.org. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
6. ^ Jump up to:a b "Linux WPA Supplicant (IEEE 802.1X, WPA, WPA2, RSN, IEEE 802.11i)". w1.fi. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
7. ^ "Key Reinstallation Attacks disclosure website". KRACK Attacks. Retrieved 26 September 2018. Linux's wpa_supplicant v2.6 is also vulnerable to the installation of an all-zero encryption key in the 4-way handshake.

External links[edit]

• Official website
• wpa_supplicant examples