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What Is a MAC Address and What Do You Do With One?
MAC addresses function at layer 2 of the OSI model, as opposed to an IP address (a layer 3 address).They are used to control and identify various computing systems as they connect to a layer two medium, like a wireless network or LAN switch, as their name implies (Media Access Control). Know that each network card has a globally unique MAC address that is split into two parts: an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) and a unique identification number (UID).
Mac change address for beginners
The first six hexadecimal digits of a MAC address, which consists of 12 characters, identify the manufacturer of the network card. The final 6 digits are used to identify a network card that is exclusive to a given manufacturer. Simply enter the first six digits of your MAC address into Google to find out who manufactured your network card. MAC addresses are used in the following situations, to name a few:
- Static IP’s – Network administrators can set up static IP addresses if they choose not to use DHCP. Since it would be unfavorable for servers if their IP addresses frequently changed, this is typically done for servers.
- Address Filtering – Because MAC addresses are globally unique, some network administrators base their filtering decisions on them when deciding which devices can connect to a network.
- Authentication Applications – ISPs and other network services may occasionally demand that users log in or log on using their MAC address.
- Identification and Temporal Services – Frequently, coffee shops and airports only allow a brief period of free Internet use (between 30 and 60 minutes). They occasionally ban MAC addresses after the allotted time has passed, but spoofing your address will give you more access for free.
- Tracking Devices – Because each MAC address is globally distinct, software can keep track of the places and networks that specific computers connect to.
Here is an illustration of a legitimate MAC address:
- 00:40:96:43:b7:de
The OUI in this instance that designates this MAC address as belonging to a Cisco Aironet product is 00:40:96. If you want to view your MAC address while using a Windows computer, the process is fairly easy. Simply press the Windows key and type "cmd" to launch the command prompt. This should launch a program with an icon that resembles a tiny black window. After starting the command prompt, type the following command:
- ipconfig /all
This will show a wealth of data about the different network interfaces on your computer. However, the "physical address" field, which will show the MAC addresses of each network interface, is the one that interests us. Users of Apple or Linux systems can issue the ifconfig command in the manner described below:
- ifconfig -a
Why Spoof Your Mac Address?
A hacker might want to spoof their MAC address for a number of reasons. The first motive is to prevent them from leaving their tracks and from having their globally unique MAC address stored in a table on a network switch or wireless router. A layer three address, such as an IP address, is bound to known MAC addresses stored in these devices' tables of known addresses. In essence, an audit trail would be left in this case that would point to the hacker's computer. However, there are a lot more factors.
It may surprise you to learn that some network administrators restrict access to their network by allowing only known MAC addresses to send data over the local network. A hacker couldn't even ping another computer on the local network if their MAC address wasn't allowed to send data. To gain network access, a hacker only needs to spoof their MAC address to that of a known host if they are aware of a device that is allowed to send data.
Macchanger Tutorial
We'll walk through the procedures needed to use Macchanger to spoof our IP address from an Ubuntu command line (BASH shell) in this demonstration. The commands will be executed on an Ethernet interface, but the same idea and process apply to other interfaces as well. Additionally, there are comparable Macchanger alternatives for Windows and Apple platforms, some of which even have laughably easy-to-use GUIs.
Step 1
Verifying that our Ethernet interface is operational is the first thing we must do. It's a good idea to confirm the card's actual physical address as well. So, to begin with, use the ifconfig eth0 command to see how your network card is configured.
Step 2
The next step is to turn off our Ethernet interface so we can make the change. You can use the ifconfig eth0 down command to turn off the Ethernet interface.
Step 3
Next, just spoof the MAC address using Macchanger. Users can change their MAC address to a randomly generated address by typing the macchanger -r eth0 command.
Step 4
Users may occasionally experience the following error:
- ERROR: Interface up or not permission: Can't change MAC: Address requested cannot be assigned.
Verify that two things are true if this is the case. First, use the ifconfig eth0 down command to confirm that your Ethernet interface is actually down. Make sure you are running these commands as the root user, and then check your syntax.
The ifconfig eth0 command can be used to confirm whether the MAC address has actually changed. Users can use the mac changer -m [MAC ADDRESS] command to enter a specific MAC address rather than a randomly generated one.
Final Thoughts
For a Linux system, configuring a new MAC address is pretty simple. In fact, performing the procedure shouldn't even take a beginner more than a minute. Remember that learning how to spoof addresses is a fairly fundamental hacking skill. Additionally, I would warn you against using this information to break into a network that you are not authorized to use. I wouldn't advise using these techniques to gain access if, for instance, your MAC address is blocked because, depending on the situation and the location of the network in question, doing so might be against the law. This straightforward example, in any case, mac change address guide, should demonstrate just how simple it is to spoof a MAC address.
