Cowpatty is a tool developed by Joshua Wright that helps perform offline dictionary attacks on WPA-PSK Wi-Fi networks. It works by capturing a four-way handshake (a key part of WPA authentication) and then testing different passwords from a dictionary file to find the correct passphrase.

How It Works

Capture the Handshake – First, Cowpatty needs a valid EAPOL (Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN) 4-way handshake, which happens when a device connects to the network.

Use a Wordlist – It then takes a dictionary (a list of possible passwords) and tests each one against the captured handshake.

Find the Password – If one of the dictionary entries matches the handshake data, Cowpatty reveals the correct WPA-PSK password.

Key Features of Cowpatty

Offline Cracking – No need to stay connected to the network after capturing the handshake.

Dictionary Support – Use any custom or pre-made word list.

Precomputed Hash Support – Speeds up attacks with hash files (when SSID is known).

Simple Command-Line Interface – Easy to run and use for testing WPA-PSK security.