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Wireless Network Auditor

Posted by michael on from the also-a-war-driving-tool dept.

Several people sent in notes about this:"IBM research announced that it developed a wireless security auditor running on a Compaq iPAQ with Linux. The pictures on the IBM web page are much more revealing than the press release. Apparently the auditor can handle GPS input (correlate access points with GPS coordinates?) and associate with access points on demand." The main product webpage has more information about the capabilities, and notes that IBM hasn't decided yet whether to release it as a commercial product or a free tool.

3 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Network Stumbler by Some+guy+named+Chris · · Score: 5

    This is already a fairly common practice, known as "war driving".

    Marius Milner has written an incredible tool for Windows very similar to this called "Network Stumbler" which will scan for 802.11 networks, log them, and log the access point lattitude and longitude to disc for you.

    I had my doubts about driving around being able to pick up anything without an external antenna, but here in little podunk Valdosta, GA, I managed to pick up the local university dorm network with ease.

    It's groovy.

  2. Scanning for wireless networks by CokeBear · · Score: 5
    Since I installed an AirPort Card in my iBook, I've been having fun driving around in big cities scanning for 802.11 networks. I even wrote a little AppleScript to help me. It uses Apple's speech manager to report when it finds a wireless network, allowing you to keep your eyes on the road if you're driving. I already found a few networks with very poor security, and have even sat in a parking lot, surfing off a corporate network. Download my AppleScript from http://homepage.mac.com/djfox/

    It's GPL'd, and I'm looking for lots of feedback, as this is my first real hack.

    I plan to eventually add the ability to record the location of each network found, and log all the info to a file. (Anyone know how to log to a file with AppleScript?)

    --
    Reality has a liberal bias
  3. Geocaching... by don_carnage · · Score: 5
    Now if we could only combine this with Geocaching...

    I've hidden the cache at this coordinates on this companies network's NT server. Feel free to take warez from the cache, but be sure to put something back in return.

    New sport! I call dibs!

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    --
    Wooden armaments to battle your imaginary foes!