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ZerBea/hcxtools

Free

Portable (that doesn't include proprietary/commercial operating systems) solution for conversion of cap/pcap/pcapng (gz compressed) WiFi dump files to hashcat formats (recommended by hashcat) and to John the Ripper formats. hcx: h = hash, c = convert and calculate candidates, x = different hashtypes

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About ZerBea/hcxtools

hcxtools is a portable set of tools designed to convert captured WiFi packet dumps (pcap, pcapng, cap, optionally gzip compressed) into hash formats compatible with Hashcat and John the Ripper (JtR). It is 100% compatible with and endorsed by the Hashcat project. The primary purpose is to help users detect weak points in their own WiFi networks by analyzing derived hashes, such as WPA-PBKDF2-PMKID+EAPOL hashes. The suite includes multiple utilities: hcxpcapngtool for conversion, hcxhashtool for filtering, hcxpmktool for PSK/PMK calculation, hcxpottool for handling potfiles, hcxpsktool for weak PSK candidate extraction, hcxeiutool for preparing rule-based cracking, hcxwltool for wordlist mixing, hcxhash2cap for reverse conversion, wlancap2wpasec for cloud upload, and whoismac for OUI lookup. It supports Hashcat modes 4800, 5500, 2200x, 16100, and deprecated modes 250x, 1680x; JtR modes include WPAPSK-PMK, PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA1, chap, netntlm, and tacacs-plus. Note: hcxtools is not supported on Windows, macOS, Android, or any emulators/wrappers; it does not perform WPA PSK cracking, WEP cracking, WPS cracking, or traffic decryption.

Key Features

Converts pcap/pcapng/cap (gzip compressed) WiFi dumps to hash formats
100% compatible with Hashcat and John the Ripper
Endorsed by the Hashcat project
Supports Hashcat modes 4800, 5500, 2200x, 16100, 250x (deprecated), 1680x (deprecated)
Supports JtR modes: WPAPSK-PMK, PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA1, chap, netntlm, tacacs-plus
Includes multiple specialized tools: hcxpcapngtool, hcxhashtool, hcxpmktool, hcxpottool, hcxpsktool, hcxeiutool, hcxwltool, hcxhash2cap, wlancap2wpasec, whoismac
Portable across Unix-like operating systems (does not support Windows, macOS, Android, or emulators)
Can output weak PSK candidates from hash files or user input
Calculates candidates using mixed wordlists for Hashcat/JtR

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Free and open source (MIT license)
  • Endorsed by and fully compatible with Hashcat and John the Ripper
  • Lightweight and portable (runs on most Unix-like systems)
  • Provides a comprehensive set of tools for the WPA cracking workflow
  • Supports gzip compressed capture files for storage efficiency
  • Active development with regular updates (3,260+ commits)
Cons
  • Not supported on Windows, macOS, Android, or any emulators/wrappers
  • Does not perform actual password cracking (requires Hashcat or JtR)
  • Does not crack WEP or WPS
  • Does not decrypt encrypted traffic
  • Steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with command-line tools and WPA cracking

Best For

Auditing own WiFi network security by analyzing captured hashesChecking if the WLAN key or PMK was transmitted unencryptedConverting packet captures for password cracking with Hashcat or John the RipperExtracting weak PSK candidates from captured handshakesPreparing rule-based cracking inputs from capture filesReverse-converting hash files back to pcap for analysis in WiresharkUploading pcap files to wpa-sec.stanev.org for cloud-based analysis

FAQ

What operating systems does hcxtools support?
hcxtools is portable across Unix-like operating systems. It does not support Windows, macOS, Android, or any emulators/wrappers.
Can hcxtools crack WPA/WPA2 passwords?
No. hcxtools only converts capture files to hash formats. Use Hashcat or John the Ripper to recover the PSK from the generated hashes.
What Hashcat modes are supported?
hcxtools supports modes 4800, 5500, 2200x, 16100, and deprecated modes 250x and 1680x.
Does hcxtools work with Wireshark captures?
Yes. It accepts pcap, pcapng, and cap files, which are standard formats produced by Wireshark and other tools.
Is hcxtools officially endorsed by Hashcat?
Yes, hcxtools is 100% compatible with Hashcat and is endorsed by the Hashcat project.