3 ms·
> A probe packet contains the MAC address as well as the list of all the past Wi-fi networks that your device has tried to join before, which can reveal a lot a
by xx_ns 4mo ago
> A probe packet contains the MAC address as well as the list of all the past Wi-fi networks that your device has tried to join before, which can reveal a lot about you!
Generally, most modern devices send broadcast/wildcard probes precisely to avoid leaking the PNL. From what I know, directed probes are only sent for hidden APs.
- oofbey 4mo agoCorrect. All major OSes stopped broadcasting the preferred SSID list by 2017, with Android and Linux being the last. Apple stopped in 2014. Windows by 2009.
- rafram 4mo agoAnd most modern devices randomize MAC addresses ("Wi-Fi addresses" in Apple-ese, for probably obvious reasons) between networks, and even between broadcasts/connections to the same network.
- gausswho 4mo agoI think this is only true for mobile devices? I'm curious how one would configure Linux to randomize MAC addresses by default.
- c22 4mo agoIn Linux changing the MAC address can be done simply on the command line, so I'd probably just write this functionality into a bash script that I'd call before ifup.
- warkdarrior 4mo agohttps://fedoramagazine.org/randomize-mac-address-nm/ https://fedoramagazine.org/randomize-mac-address-nm/
- rafram 4mo agomacOS rotates MAC addresses between networks by default, and between connections to the same network unless it's password-protected. (It's under System Settings -> "Details..." or three-dot menu by a network -> "Private Wi-Fi address.") Windows also randomizes by default as long as your network controller supports it. It sounds like Linux requires some textual configuration that depends on your distro.
- Jordan1604 4mo ago[flagged]