ElcomSoft releases GPGPU based WiFi cracker

Fastest WiFi cracker on the market

Elcomsoft Wireless Security Auditor In a move that will be welcomed by some and dreaded by others, ElcomSoft, a  Russian company which specialises in security products, has announced that they have developed a tool to ‘recover’  wireless network encryption keys using the power of the graphics processing unit.

The software earns legitimacy by selling itself as a Wireless Security Auditor,  and is intended to be a useful tool for network administrators in assessing the security of their networks. The software is able to:

  • Determine how secure your wireless network is
  • Test the strength of WPA/WPA2-PSK passwords protecting your wireless network
  • Save time with patent-pending GPU acceleration technology when one or more compatible NVIDIA or ATI video cards are present
  • Run advanced dictionary attacks with highly configurable variations
  • Perform attacks from inside or outside of your network

Harnessing the processing power of the GPGPU to power the software, it is the fastest Wi-Fi password recovery tool currently available on the market. Performance of the software depends on how many shaders are at it’s disposal and there is a clear divide between ATi and Nvidia cards. The Ati 4870 X2 has 800 shaders and the Nvidia GTX280 has just 240, and the effects on performance are clearly shown below:

ElcomSoft WPA Cracker
 
Whilst this tool would be a welcome addition to an IT professional’s arsenal, we can’t help but wonder what will happen when it falls into the wrong hands. The price of the software ($1119)  will put it out of reach of those just curious enough to try it, but for those wishing to use it for less than honest purposes, it could be seen as a worthy purchase.

You can read more about the new software at the ElcomSoft website. You can discuss this article in our forums here.