Editing Kismet (software)

{{Short description|Network detector, packet sniffer, and intrusion detection system}}
{{About|the network monitoring software|the gameplay scripting tool| Kismet (gameplay scripting)}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2012}}

{{Infobox software
| name = Kismet
| screenshot = Kismet Web UI.png
| screenshot size = 300px
| caption = Web UI
| developer = Mike Kershaw (dragorn)
| latest release version = 2023-07-R1<ref>https://www.kismetwireless.net/ Kismet web site</ref>
| latest release date = {{release date and age|2023|07|20}}
| operating system = [[Cross-platform]]
| programming language = [[C++]]
| genre = [[Packet sniffer]]
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL]]
| website = {{URL|www.kismetwireless.net}}
}}
'''Kismet''' is a [[network detector]], [[packet sniffer]], and [[Intrusion-detection system|intrusion detection system]] for [[802.11]] [[wireless LAN]]s. Kismet will work with any wireless card which supports [[Monitor mode|raw monitoring mode]], and can sniff [[802.11a]], [[802.11b]], [[802.11g]], and [[802.11n]] traffic. The program runs under [[Linux]], [[FreeBSD]], [[NetBSD]], [[OpenBSD]], and [[macOS]]. The client can also run on [[Microsoft Windows]], although, aside from external drones (see [[Kismet (software)#Server / Drone / Client infrastructure|below]]), there's only one supported  wireless hardware available as packet source.

Distributed under the [[GNU General Public License]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kismetwireless.net/documentation.shtml|title=Kismet Readme|publisher=kismetwireless.net|accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref> Kismet is [[free software]].

==Features==
Kismet differs from other wireless network detectors in working passively. Namely, without sending any loggable packets, it is able to detect the presence of both [[wireless access point]]s and wireless clients, and to associate them with each other. It is also the most widely used and up to date open source wireless monitoring tool. {{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

[[Image:Kismet Key.png|thumb|right|An explanation of the headings displayed in Kismet.]]

Kismet also includes basic wireless [[Intrusion-detection system|IDS]] features such as detecting active wireless sniffing programs including [[NetStumbler]], as well as a number of wireless network attacks.

Kismet features the ability to log all sniffed packets and save them in a [[tcpdump]]/[[Wireshark]] or [[Airsnort]] compatible file format.  Kismet can also capture "Per-Packet Information" headers.

Kismet also features the ability to detect default or "not configured" networks, probe requests, and determine what level of wireless encryption is used on a given access point.

In order to find as many networks as possible, Kismet supports channel hopping. This means that it constantly changes from channel to channel non-sequentially, in a user-defined sequence with a default value that leaves big holes between channels (for example, 1-6-11-2-7-12-3-8-13-4-9-14-5-10). The advantage with this method is that it will capture more packets because adjacent channels overlap.

Kismet also supports logging of the geographical coordinates of the network if the input from a [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] receiver is additionally available.

== Server / Drone / Client infrastructure ==
Kismet has three separate parts.  A ''drone'' can be used to collect packets, and then pass them on to a ''server'' for interpretation.  A server can either be used in conjunction with a drone, or on its own, interpreting packet data, and extrapolating wireless information, and organizing it.  The ''client'' communicates with the server and displays the information the server collects.

==Plugins==
With the updating of Kismet to -ng, Kismet now supports a wide variety of scanning plugins including [[Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications|DECT]], Bluetooth, and others.

==Usage==
Kismet is used in a number of commercial and open source projects.  It is distributed with Kali Linux.<ref name="Kali-Kismet">{{cite web|title=Kismet|url=http://tools.kali.org/wireless-attacks/kismet|website=Kali Tools|publisher=Kali Linux}}</ref>  It is used for wireless reconnaissance,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lynn|first1=Michael|last2=Biondi|first2=Philippe|last3=Beauchesne|first3=Nicolas|title=Security Power Tools|date=August 2007|publisher=O'Reilly Media|url=http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596009632.do|accessdate=9 March 2016}}</ref> and can be used with other packages for an inexpensive wireless intrusion detection system.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Murray|first1=Jason|title=An Inexpensive Wireless IDS using Kismet and OpenWRT|url=http://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/detection/inexpensive-wireless-ids-kismet-openwrt-33103|publisher=SANS Institute|accessdate=9 March 2016}}</ref>  It has been used in a number of peer reviewed studies such as "Detecting Rogue Access Points using Kismet".<ref name="Thejdeep-Kismet">{{cite book|last1=Thejdeep|first1=G.|title=2015 International Conference on Communications and Signal Processing (ICCSP) |chapter=Detecting Rogue Access Points using Kismet |journal=In Communications and Signal Processing|pages=0172–0175|doi=10.1109/ICCSP.2015.7322813|isbn=978-1-4799-8081-9|year=2015|s2cid=26062286 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[KisMAC]] (for Mac OS X)
* [[BackTrack]]
* [[Kali Linux]]
* [[Metasploit Project]]
* [[Nmap]]
* [[BackBox]]
* [[OpenVAS]]
* [[Aircrack-ng]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [https://www.kismetwireless.net/ Official Website]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kismet (Software)}}
[[Category:Network analyzers]]
[[Category:Wireless networking]]