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Since I got ESP8266, I was amazed by the power this little chip had. Imagine being able to scan, spoof, or disconnect Wi-Fi devices — all from a board which can even fit in your pocket. Sounds cool, right?
Few week ago, while working around with some network tools on LINUX, I decided to explore something I've always been curious about — Wi-Fi deauthentication attacks. Obviously, my goal wasn’t to cause chaos but to understand how attackers exploit these vulnerabilities — and most importantly, how to protect against them.
After some research and tinkering, I found a community-made project called deauther — an open-source firmware that transforms the ESP8266 into a Wi-Fi toolkit. After few minutes of understanding it, I had a fully working device scanning networks, sending deauth packets, and broadcasting fake access points.
That’s how this project began — and today, I’ll guide you through the same journey and the process to get deauther on your ESP8266 board.
⚠️WARNING & DISCLAIMER:This project is for educational purposes only. Do NOT use this to attack others network and also Use it very Carefully. Misuse can be illegal. You are responsible for your actions. Use this tool only in controlled, legal environments.I will not be Responsible for any Misuse
🛠️ What You’ll Need- NodeMCU (Wemos D1 Mini, anything board ESP8266 work, but I am making it on a NodeMCU.)
- Micro USB cable
- Laptop or PC (Windows/Linux/Mac)
- Internet connection
- To install deauther firmware, go to https://deauther.com/
- Then click on get started and then go to download
- Select the option with BINARIES (.BIN) {*as we will just burn the.bin file directly}
- Select the NODEMCU from the options and then click JUST DOWNLOAD and your file will be downloaded
- Now you need a ESP8266 flasher to flash the (.bin) file you just downloaded
- You can use any ESP8266 flasher, I am using ESPWebTool made by Spacehuhn
⚡ Flashing using ESPWebTool
- Click on Connect to connect your board
- After connecting, select that (.bin) which was downloaded from deauther
- After flashing the (.bin) file, Our work is 80% complete
- Now turn on your ESP8266 board and go to WiFi setting on your PC/Mobile
- Connect to WiFi named --> *pwned*
- SSID-> pwned, Password-> deauther
- Now as written in the image, After connecting to WiFi, open 192.168.4.1 on the same device which is connected to pwned.
- Then a WARNING page will be shown, you have to click I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE NOTICE ABOVE
NowEverythingIsComplete
Now you can:
- Scan nearby Wi-Fi networks and clients
- Launch deauthentication attacks (legally!)
- Create fake APs with custom SSIDs
- Monitor how your own network behaves under such tests
- Educate yourself and others about Wi-Fi security vulnerabilities
- For more info, you can check this link-https://deauther.com/docs/usage/web
Final Thoughts 💭
Learning how attacks work is the **first step toward defense**. With tools like the Deauther, you gain hands-on knowledge of network weaknesses. Just remember — with great power comes great responsibility.
*Keep it ethical. Keep it smart & Keep hacking the right way.*
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