WarXing

WarXing (Pronounced "Work-sing"), NetStumbling or WILDing 1 is the action of audition about attainable computer systems or (wireless) networks. The 'X' may be replaced by a added specific action to accord the afterward terms:

Warcarting — Wardriving, but instead of a car, a arcade barrow 2

Warchalking — the name for appearance the breadth of a Wi-Fi wireless arrangement with a book mark on the sidewalk.

Warcycling — audition Wi-Fi wireless networks by cycling about with a Wi-Fi able accessory on a bicycle

War dialing — audition computer systems affiliated to the blast arrangement by dialing every amount in an breadth code

Wardriving — audition Wi-Fi wireless networks by alive about with a Wi-Fi-equipped device, such as a laptop or a PDA, in one's vehicle.

Warflying — application an aircraft and a Wi-Fi-equipped device, such as a laptop or a PDA, to ascertain Wi-Fi wireless networks.

Warrunning; audition Wi-Fi wireless networks by alive with a Wi-Fi able device.

Warspying — audition and examination wireless video. Usually done by alive about with an x10 receiver. Similar to "Wardriving" alone with wireless video instead of wireless networks.

Wartoothing — The aforementioned abstraction as warwalking, except application bluetooth devices.

Wartransit — aforementioned as wardriving, except done aboard a bounded alteration bus, subway, or driver train.

Wartrawling — audition Wi-Fi wireless networks at sea with a Wi-Fi-equipped accessory in the around of argosy accepting via digital and broadcasting Wi-Fi for their onboard network. Coined by FTC/SS Donald A. Davis, USN, aloft accomplishing of the aboriginal Wi-Fi networks on US Submarines.

Warwalking — analytic for Wi-Fi wireless networks by a being walking, application a Wi-Fi-equipped device, such as a laptop or a PDA.

These agreement originated from wardialing, a address affected by a appearance played by Matthew Broderick in the blur WarGames, and called afterwards that film. Wardialing in this ambience refers to the convenance of application a computer to punch abounding buzz numbers in the hopes of award an alive modem.

While it doesn't accommodate to the "WarXing" pattern, bluedriving (wardriving adjoin Bluetooth networks) has aswell been apparent as a accompanying word.

In practice

WarXing is done application specific computer programs and hardware. The software acclimated is usually Arrangement analysis software, but may aswell cover RF adviser software, and GPS-logging programs, to aid the hacker in award the exact position of wireless networks, and mapping them with GPS-information. Before basic on a warXing trip, the user have to consistently accomplish abiding he unbinds his NIC. This needs to be done to attenuate all advice appear APs (reception of packets charcoal about unchanged). The best access to do this is to attenuate all arrangement protocols (TCP/IP, Netware, NetBEUI, etc.). By disabling advice appear APs, any accessible acknowledged problems are abhorred and addition applied botheration is abhorred as well. This applied botheration is that autoconnection may automatically abode the SSID in the wireless adapter operating profile, awkward your adeptness to log any added stations encountered after on. Unbinding the NIC can be done with the command:

ipconfig /release_all (in windows; command prompt)

ip hotlink set dev interface-name down

or by disabling the TCP/IP agreement in "Network Connections" (for Windows XP) 3

Popular software

For warXing, humans may opt to install the appropriate software alone or anon install purpose-built OSs (Linux-variants) which accept all warXing accoutrement already installed and are even sometimes able to run as a Live CD. These Linux OSs are BackTrack,4 WarLinux and Auditor. The purpose-built OSs aswell affection added accoutrement to able adequate wireless networks and assay the system. These activities about are no best advised allotment of wardriving (only the analysis of the systems is), and are actionable if the buyer of the arrangement has not accustomed his permission. The accoutrement are about advantageous to actuate one's own systems' vulnerability to advance and appropriately to fortify the system. Installing the software alone is advised added advantageous if one alone wishes to conduct warXing, and not analysis the networks for vulnerabilities or even admission them.

Separate software can be installed on approved operating systems such as Mac OS X, Linux or Windows. Often, a individual arrangement analysis software affairs as NetStumbler (windows, desktop), MiniStumbler (windows CE, handheld), KisMAC (desktop, Macintosh) or Kismet (Linux, desktop) is all that a lot of humans install. Arrangement analysis software is acclimated to ascertain and map out the accessible (as able-bodied as protected) WLANs in the area. WLANs which accept the SSID broadcasting angry off crave a acquiescent scanner such as Kismet.

GPS-mapping software sometimes installed alongside includes Stumbverter and MapPoint. Netstumbler annal the GPS-information, but does not abode it on a map, which is why these programs are generally added. MapPoint (a Microsoft product) is not free, however, and is appropriately generally not an advantage for assertive people. To clothing this ambition group, a chargeless another has been fabricated alleged DiGLE. Also, WiFimaps offers some utilities.

Finally, some humans wish to use the arrangement advice acquired through the arrangement analysis software (and added accoutrement such as packet analyzers) to aswell drudge the network. This activity, which is no best advised warXing, may acquiesce the hacker cogent advantages. Hacking adequate networks may acquiesce Piggybacking (Internet access) or application the arrangement as a "zombie", acceptation application the affiliation to drudge added PCs/networks and absolution anyone abroad attending like the bad guy. Also, instead of hacking it, hackers may aswell adjudge to jam the network. RF-jamming can be done through RF generators (e.g. from HP, Anritsu) or Power arresting generators (e.g. from Terabeam Wireless, Global Gadget or Tektronix). Jamming (as able-bodied as Queensland and DoS-attacks) of advance does not usually accommodate any advantage for the hacker, and is generally done for avengement purposes.

How-to documents

Practical how-to advice is accessible from abstracts such as "The Definitive Guide to Wireless WarXing" 5, "WarDriving HOWTO", "Wireless LAN assets for Linux", "Official Wireless Howto" 6, etc. More advice may be aggregate from books such as "Hacking Wireless Networks for Dummies", which accept sections about wardriving.

Hardware used

WarXing computers are usually focused on portability. WarXers will generally adopt to do the added labour-intensive operations, such as allegory the arrangement and searching for vulnerabilities, at a after time, so they resort to a mix of portability and accretion power. Portability is appropriate as the accessory has to be physically confused from one abode to addition (to get in the ambit of the WLAN networks), and accretion ability is appropriate if one wishes to able WEP or (EAP/WPA) adequate networks. To ascertain wireless networks, ARM, MIPS or SH3-cpu powered PDAs such as the HP iPAQ, HP Jornada or Casio MIPS are generally acclimated due to their top portability.3 Small laptops (13.3–15.4 inch) are acclimated for both mapping out as able-bodied as arise the WLANs.

Finally, for wardriving purposes only, some individuals accept resorted to architecture mini-tower PCs into their cars. To ability the computer for wardriving, an AC ability inverter is acclimated to ability or recharge the computer. Wireless arrangement cards (with antennae jacks) are consistently present in the PC, either by inserting an alien blazon or application an chip one. To extend the range, an alien antenna is sometimes added, either a commercially acquired one or a cantenna.

A GPS accessory is usually added to almanac the GPS coordinates of the wireless network. GPS coordinates are usually automatically recorded forth with added arrangement advice (IP, SSID, AP MAC-address or BSSID, ... ) in arrangement analysis software as NetStumbler and Kismet.