Wireshark mailing list archives

Re: Get "Malformed Packet" for 802.11 Beacon frames on Windows


From: Yang Luo <hsluoyb () gmail com>
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2016 09:39:36 +0800

Hi Alexis,



On Wed, Apr 13, 2016 at 1:47 AM, Alexis La Goutte <alexis.lagoutte () gmail com
wrote:



On Tue, Apr 12, 2016 at 7:53 AM, Yang Luo <hsluoyb () gmail com> wrote:

Hi list,

I have enabled 802.11 control and management frames capture on Windows
using Npcap. I found that the Beacon frames are marked as "Malformed
Packet" by Wireshark 2.0.2.

The false trace of the No. 40 packet is here:
(BTW, is there any simple copy text method for a packet in Wireshark,
like copying all the protocol tree in text like below? I manually copied
all the fields and it's slow)

IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN management frame
  Tagged parameters (213 bytes)
    Tag: Channel Usage
      Tag length: 175
        Expert Info (Error/Malformed): Tag Length is longer than
remaining payload
          Tag Length is longer than remaining payload
          Severity level: Error
          Group: Malformed

The capture file with the error is:

https://github.com/nmap/npcap/releases/download/v0.06-r15/npcap_beacon_error.pcapng.gz

You can test this feature using this release:
https://github.com/nmap/npcap/releases

I'm not an expert of 802.11 protocols, so can anyone point out what's
wrong here? Thanks!


--------------------------------------------------------
At last I paste the usage of this release here:

Usage:

   1. Install npcap-nmap-0.06-r15-wifi.exe.
   2. Run WlanHelper.exe with *Administrator* privilege. Type in the
   index of your wireless adapter (usually 0) and press Enter. Then type
   in 1 and press Enter to to switch on the *Monitor Mode*.
   3. Launch Wireshark and capture on the wireless adapter, you will see *all
   802.11 packets (data + control + management)*.
   4. If you need to return to *Managed Mode*, run WlanHelper.exe again
   and input the index of the adapter, then type in 0 and press Enter to
   to switch off the **Monitor Mode*.

Notice:

You need to use WlanHelper.exe tool to switch on the *Monitor Mode* in
order to see 802.11 control and management packets in Wireshark (also encrypted
802.11 data packets, you need to specify thedecipher key in Wireshark in
order to decrypt those packets), otherwise you will only see 802.11 data
packets.

Switching on the *Monitor Mode* will disconnect your wireless network
from the AP, you can switch back to *Managed Mode* (aka *ExtSTA* in
Microsoft's terminologies) using the same WlanHelper.exe tool.

Awesome !

Need to include support of directly switch to monitor mode on Wireshark :)


You bet! That will be the last step to do.
WlanHelper is currently a workaround for this feature. Monitor mode switch
on and off should be able to be done directly using Wireshark for friendly
use.
However, I'm also planning to provide the monitor switch in a API way too,
like integrated into NPFInstall.exe, so a program can switch on and off
Monitor mode too.

BTW, are there any options when setting to Monitor mode? Like channel no or
something. I haven't considered the options in WlanHelper but maybe for
future.




About malformed packet, with Wireless monitor (like Airpcap), there is
often some "wrong" packet...


This reminds me that "AirPcap" string is tagged in Wireshark "Interface
Details" (Media supported and Media in use).

The code is:
https://github.com/wireshark/wireshark/blob/07fb53b063bcd4c2c67706cf7316b625efe0767e/ui/gtk/capture_if_details_dlg_win32.c
Line 324 to 326.

I don't know what's NdisMediumPpi, but Npcap is for sure able to
provide NdisMediumRadio80211 and NdisMediumBare80211 too. AirPcap is no
longer the only choice to use native 802.11 on Windows.
So is there any possibility to remove the "AirPcap" string in the UI?


Cheers,
Yang





Cheers,
Yang


___________________________________________________________________________
Sent via:    Wireshark-dev mailing list <wireshark-dev () wireshark org>
Archives:    https://www.wireshark.org/lists/wireshark-dev
Unsubscribe: https://wireshark.org/mailman/options/wireshark-dev
             mailto:wireshark-dev-request () wireshark org
?subject=unsubscribe



___________________________________________________________________________
Sent via:    Wireshark-dev mailing list <wireshark-dev () wireshark org>
Archives:    https://www.wireshark.org/lists/wireshark-dev
Unsubscribe: https://wireshark.org/mailman/options/wireshark-dev
             mailto:wireshark-dev-request () wireshark org
?subject=unsubscribe

___________________________________________________________________________
Sent via:    Wireshark-dev mailing list <wireshark-dev () wireshark org>
Archives:    https://www.wireshark.org/lists/wireshark-dev
Unsubscribe: https://wireshark.org/mailman/options/wireshark-dev
             mailto:wireshark-dev-request () wireshark org?subject=unsubscribe

Current thread: