Freedom251 › Penetration Testing Software
Aircrack-ng
What Aircrack-ng is
Aircrack-ng is a free suite of command-line tools for assessing Wi-Fi network security. It can capture packets and export data for processing with third-party tools, test wireless cards and drivers for capture and injection, and provide frame injection and replay, monitor-mode control, and wireless-network graphing. The suite includes tools for cracking WEP and WPA PSK keys, including WPA 1 and 2. The project says its command-line design supports heavy scripting. Aircrack-ng is open source under GPL v2, BSD 3 Clause, and OpenSSL licenses, and it can be compiled without OpenSSL for users who do not accept that license. Hardware compatibility is not universal: some wireless chipsets are unsupported, and some functions may not work even with a supported chipset. Windows support is restricted to Airpcap; the Windows 1.7 download requires users to develop their own wireless-card DLLs, which are not included or supported. Only the latest stable release is supported. The project warns against accessing networks that do not belong to the user and directs users to documentation and community channels rather than email support.
Who it suits
It suits users assessing Wi-Fi security who are comfortable with command-line tools and scripting. Users should only work with networks they are authorized to access.
What it does well
- Free software suite with no license fee.
- Captures packets and supports data export.
- Includes wireless-card and driver capability checks.
- Supports frame injection, replay, and monitor-mode control.
- Can be compiled without OpenSSL.
What to know first
- Not all wireless chipsets are supported.
- Some features may fail on supported chipsets.
- Windows support is limited to Airpcap.
- Windows 1.7 requires user-developed wireless-card DLLs.
Limits
The free Aircrack-ng plan is the full software suite with no license fee. Windows support is limited to Airpcap, and the Windows 1.7 download requires user-developed wireless-card DLLs; hardware support also varies by chipset and function.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Aircrack-ng | Full software suite · no license fee | Free |
As aircrack-ng.org lists them, read 29 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Aircrack-ng website and open its downloads page.
- Choose the source release or Windows binary for Aircrack-ng 1.7.
- Use Linux, macOS, or a self-hosted environment, or check the Windows Airpcap requirement before proceeding.
- For Windows 1.7, develop the required wireless-card DLLs; they are not included or supported.
- Consult the project's wiki, tool documentation, manpages, FAQ, or troubleshooting pages to get started.
Verdict
Aircrack-ng provides a command-line toolset for Wi-Fi security assessment, but hardware and Windows support have notable constraints. The project supports only its latest stable release and warns against accessing networks that do not belong to you.
Questions
How much does Aircrack-ng cost?
The Aircrack-ng plan is free, with no license fee.
Is Aircrack-ng open source?
Yes. It is licensed under GPL v2, BSD 3 Clause, and OpenSSL licenses. It can be compiled without OpenSSL if that license is not accepted.
Which platforms does Aircrack-ng support?
It lists Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and Windows. Windows compatibility is limited to Airpcap, and Windows 1.7 requires user-developed wireless-card DLLs.
What does Aircrack-ng do?
Its tools capture and export packets, check wireless-card and driver capabilities, inject and replay frames, control monitor mode, graph wireless networks, and crack WEP and WPA PSK keys.
Does Aircrack-ng offer support?
The project directs users to its wiki, documentation, manpages, FAQ, troubleshooting pages, forum, and IRC. It says it does not provide support over email.
Which Aircrack-ng release is supported?
The project supports only the latest stable release.
Facts from Aircrack-ng's own pages
- Command line
- All tools are command-line programs, which the project says allows heavy scripting. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Cracking
- The suite includes tools for cracking WEP and WPA PSK keys, including WPA 1 and 2. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Hardware compatibility
- The project says not all wireless chipsets are supported, and some functions may not work even with a supported chipset. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- License
- Aircrack-ng is open source under GPL v2, BSD 3 Clause, and OpenSSL licenses, and it can be compiled without OpenSSL if that license is not accepted. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Monitoring
- Its monitoring tools capture packets and export data to text files for processing with third-party tools. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Platforms
- The project says it works primarily on Linux and also lists Windows, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, and eComStation 2. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- Aircrack-ng is a suite of tools for assessing Wi-Fi network security. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Release
- The downloads page lists Aircrack-ng 1.7 as the source release and Windows binary. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Responsible use
- The getting-started guide says the project does not support or endorse accessing networks that do not belong to the user and warns that illegal activity can result in a permanent ban from its forum or IRC. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Security reporting
- The project requests coordinated disclosure of security issues by email and says not to open bug reports or pull requests for those reports. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Support
- The project directs users to its wiki, tool documentation, manpages, FAQ, troubleshooting pages, forum, and IRC, and says it does not provide support over email. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Supported versions
- The security policy says only the latest stable release is supported. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Testing
- The suite checks wireless cards and driver capabilities for capture and injection. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Toolset
- The documented tools include packet capture, frame injection and replay, monitor-mode control, wireless-network graphing, and WEP/WPA/WPA2-PSK key cracking. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
- Windows limitation
- The compatibility page says Microsoft Windows is only supported with Airpcap, and the Windows 1.7 download requires users to develop their own wireless-card DLLs, which are not included or supported. · aircrack-ng.org, 29 Sept 2026
Where Aircrack-ng stands on Freedom251
- Penetration Testing Software#3 of 34