WEP key found isn't the key I used?

[eeepclover]

I'm still new, be gentle.

Aircrack-ng gave me hex, how do I convert that to ASCII?

I've cracked my WEP-encrypted key and I know I have a strong password (several characters including special characters, not a dictionary word, not even English, not a keyboard pattern, etc), but the "KEY FOUND!" that aircrack-ng gives me is only hex, no human-readable translation. How come? How do I convert it to the real phrase I used?

I've used the three links in the FAQ on Aircrack-ng's page (faq [Aircrack-ng]) but those don't seem to help, even with "%" in front of each pair of hex characters.

I realize that mathematically, I could have a collision between the hex that aircrack-ng found and my own passphrase, but that's supposed to be really really really unlikely, right?

[purehate]

There is now way to easily translate the key back to human readable text. Just use the hex key, make sure it works and then switch to WPA.

[eeepclover]

There is now way to easily translate the key back to human readable text. Just use the hex key, make sure it works and then switch to WPA.

I assume that's an attempt at humor. The router I use for internet access is well-secured. This is an old router I'm using so I can become familiar with BackTrack.

I was expecting the key that aircrack-ng returned would read like the one I put into the router, but the links on the Aircrack-ng FAQ didn't help much.

... or are you being serious?

[kidFromBigD]

I assume that's an attempt at humor. The router I use for internet access is well-secured. This is an old router I'm using so I can become familiar with BackTrack.

I was expecting the key that aircrack-ng returned would read like the one I put into the router, but the links on the Aircrack-ng FAQ didn't help much.

... or are you being serious?

Yes, he is being serious; no attempt at humor going on.

Now, did you really read the aircrack-ng documentation?

So what is going on here? Each router has software written to a spec that complies with 802.11, however, there are no rules governing how to take your keystrokes and translate that into a hex key. Purehate was pointing out that you cannot go "backwards" and retrieve your original passphrase, and this is true - linksys does it one way, DLink another, etc. etc.

So what to do? When aircrack-ng tells you it has the hex key, you have the hex key! Turn around with another computer and enter the hex key, checking that you can authenticate to your access point (It is your access point, yes?).

[eeepclover]

Yes, he is being serious; no attempt at humor going on.

Now, did you really read the aircrack-ng documentation?

So what is going on here? Each router has software written to a spec that complies with 802.11, however, there are no rules governing how to take your keystrokes and translate that into a hex key. Purehate was pointing out that you cannot go "backwards" and retrieve your original passphrase, and this is true - linksys does it one way, DLink another, etc. etc.

So what to do? When aircrack-ng tells you it has the hex key, you have the hex key! Turn around with another computer and enter the hex key, checking that you can authenticate to your access point (It is your access point, yes?).

Yup, it's mine, all mine ... which is why I was surprised that it didn't display the passphrase I used when creating the key. But interestingly enough, that key did work.

Thanks for the help, guys!

Yes, he is being serious; no attempt at humor going on.

Now, did you really read the aircrack-ng documentation?

So what is going on here? Each router has software written to a spec that complies with 802.11, however, there are no rules governing how to take your keystrokes and translate that into a hex key. Purehate was pointing out that you cannot go "backwards" and retrieve your original passphrase, and this is true - linksys does it one way, DLink another, etc. etc.

So what to do? When aircrack-ng tells you it has the hex key, you have the hex key! Turn around with another computer and enter the hex key, checking that you can authenticate to your access point (It is your access point, yes?).

Hmmm... So a hex is a one-way cipher? And here I was thinking it was like WPA-PSK. Interesting.