Platforms / Security resources

MITRE ATT&CK

Enterprise v20 / 15 tactics / 227 techniques / 479 sub-techniques

Discovery / T1016.002

Wi-Fi Discovery

Sub-technique / Enterprise ATT&CK

Official MITRE entry

Adversaries may search for information about Wi-Fi networks, such as network names and passwords, on compromised systems. Adversaries may use Wi-Fi information as part of Account Discovery, Remote System Discovery, and other discovery or Credential Access activity to support both ongoing and future campaigns.

Adversaries may collect various types of information about Wi-Fi networks from hosts. For example, on Windows names and passwords of all Wi-Fi networks a device has previously connected to may be available through netsh wlan show profiles to enumerate Wi-Fi names and then netsh wlan show profile “Wi-Fi name” key=clear to show a Wi-Fi network’s corresponding password.(Citation: BleepingComputer Agent Tesla steal wifi passwords)(Citation: Malware Bytes New AgentTesla variant steals WiFi credentials)(Citation: Check Point APT35 CharmPower January 2022) Additionally, names and other details of locally reachable Wi-Fi networks can be discovered using calls to wlanAPI.dll Native API functions.(Citation: Binary Defense Emotes Wi-Fi Spreader)

On Linux, names and passwords of all Wi-Fi-networks a device has previously connected to may be available in files under /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/.(Citation: Wi-Fi Password of All Connected Networks in Windows/Linux) On macOS, the password of a known Wi-Fi may be identified with security find-generic-password -wa wifiname (requires admin username/password).(Citation: Find Wi-Fi Password on Mac)

Source references

Source: MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v20, retrieved 2026-10-31. MITRE ATT&CK is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.