🦈 How to Find Passwords and Credentials Using Wireshark 🦈
In today’s cybersecurity landscape, understanding how attackers might exploit network traffic is key to defending systems. Wireshark, a powerful network protocol analyzer, allows professionals to inspect data packets on a network, making it possible to identify vulnerabilities, such as plaintext passwords and credentials being transmitted without encryption.
In this post, I will guide you through the process of using Wireshark to identify passwords and credentials, and explain why it’s crucial to ensure encrypted traffic on your network.
1️⃣ Capture Network Traffic
Open Wireshark and select the network interface you want to capture traffic from (e.g., Wi-Fi, Ethernet).
Start the capture by clicking on the blue shark fin icon.
Monitor network traffic and wait for enough data to be collected.
2️⃣ Filter for Login Protocols Many login processes occur over HTTP, FTP, or Telnet, which can send data in plaintext. Use the following filters to narrow down the traffic:
http.request.method == "POST" (for HTTP credentials)
ftp (for FTP logins)
telnet (for Telnet connections)
These filters help focus on packets that might contain login credentials.
3️⃣ Inspect Individual Packets After applying the relevant filters, inspect packets that contain form data or login information.
Click on a packet in the list.
In the Packet Details pane, expand the relevant protocol layers (e.g., HTTP or FTP).
Look for keywords like “username,” “password,” or form field values that suggest credentials are being transmitted.
4️⃣ Extracting Credentials
For HTTP logins, look for the POST request that includes a form submission. Credentials may be visible in plaintext under the HTTP Authorization or form data fields.
For FTP and Telnet logins, look for login commands (USER, PASS) in the packet details, which may also reveal plaintext credentials.
5️⃣ Use Wireshark's "Follow TCP Stream" To simplify the search for credentials, right-click on a packet and select "Follow TCP Stream." This will display the entire conversation between the client and server, including any login information. Pay attention to the data that looks like credentials being passed.
Wireshark allows us to see passwords and credentials primarily because many legacy protocols transmit information in plaintext. Without encryption (such as HTTPS, SFTP, or SSH), anyone monitoring the network traffic can easily intercept sensitive information like usernames and passwords.
Using encryption, such as Transport Layer Security (TLS), protects these communications from being visible in tools like Wireshark. Always ensure your applications and websites use encrypted connections to avoid exposing credentials over the network.
If you found this guide helpful, feel free to share your thoughts or connect with me to discuss more security techniques! Wireshark Cybersecurity OffensiveSecurity EthicalHacking InfoSec DataProtection SecurityTips
