Hacking Wi-Fi networks with the Pineapple Mark IV honeypot (photos)

Darren Kitchen's WiFi Pineapple Mark IV impersonates Wi-Fi networks in hopes of convincing wireless devices to connect to it. Every Web page is replaced with kittens.

CNET Reviews staff

March 10, 2012 5:39 p.m. PT

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Faux networks

Here's a list of clients and MAC addresses of SXSW conference-goers connecting to the WiFi Pineapple Mark IV's faux networks. This image shows only the abbreviated MAC address, but by scrolling right the full address becomes visible.

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WiFi Pineapple Mark IV

Here's a list of some of the open Wi-Fi networks that the WiFi Pineapple Mark IV impersonated. Some include "Cisco01316" and the Omni hotel's "OMNI-MEETING" network.

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Especially evil

An especially evil way of concealing the WiFi Pineapple Mark IV, inside this metal project box with an antenna and battery. With the attached magnets, it can be mounted to telephone poles or inside businesses, and run for 30 hours on a single charge.

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Urban camouflage

Think of it as urban camouflage--it blends into the environment.

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Darren Kitchen

Darren Kitchen, 29, founder of Hak5 and creator of the WiFi Pineapple Mark IV. During just a few minutes in the lobby of the Omni Hotel here at SXSW, he disrupted dozens of Wi-Fi connections and rerouted them to his own "network" that replaced all Internet pages with a video of the Nyan Cat kitten flying through space. Someone with malicious intent could have done far worse.