WPA_CLI(8) - phpMan

WPA_CLI(8) WPA_CLI(8)

NAME
wpa_cli - WPA command line client

SYNOPSIS
wpa_cli [ -p path to ctrl sockets ] [ -g path to global ctrl_interface socket ] [ -i
ifname ] [ -hvB ] [ -a action file ] [ -P pid file ] [ -G ping interval ] [ command
... ]

OVERVIEW
wpa_cli is a text-based frontend program for interacting with wpa_supplicant. It is used
to query current status, change configuration, trigger events, and request interactive
user input.

wpa_cli can show the current authentication status, selected security mode, dot11 and
dot1x MIBs, etc. In addition, it can configure some variables like EAPOL state machine
parameters and trigger events like reassociation and IEEE 802.1X logoff/logon. wpa_cli
provides a user interface to request authentication information, like username and pass-
word, if these are not included in the configuration. This can be used to implement, e.g.,
one-time-passwords or generic token card authentication where the authentication is based
on a challenge-response that uses an external device for generating the response.

The control interface of wpa_supplicant can be configured to allow non-root user access
(ctrl_interface GROUP= parameter in the configuration file). This makes it possible to run
wpa_cli with a normal user account.

wpa_cli supports two modes: interactive and command line. Both modes share the same com-
mand set and the main difference is in interactive mode providing access to unsolicited
messages (event messages, username/password requests).

Interactive mode is started when wpa_cli is executed without including the command as a
command line parameter. Commands are then entered on the wpa_cli prompt. In command line
mode, the same commands are entered as command line arguments for wpa_cli.

INTERACTIVE AUTHENTICATION PARAMETERS REQUEST
When wpa_supplicant need authentication parameters, like username and password, which are
not present in the configuration file, it sends a request message to all attached frontend
programs, e.g., wpa_cli in interactive mode. wpa_cli shows these requests with "CTRL-
REQ-<type>-<id>:<text>" prefix. <type> is IDENTITY, PASSWORD, or OTP (one-time-password).
<id> is a unique identifier for the current network. <text> is description of the request.
In case of OTP request, it includes the challenge from the authentication server.

The reply to these requests can be given with identity, password, and otp commands. <id>
needs to be copied from the matching request. password and otp commands can be used
regardless of whether the request was for PASSWORD or OTP. The main difference between
these two commands is that values given with password are remembered as long as wpa_sup-
plicant is running whereas values given with otp are used only once and then forgotten,
i.e., wpa_supplicant will ask frontend for a new value for every use. This can be used to
implement one-time-password lists and generic token card -based authentication.

Example request for password and a matching reply:

CTRL-REQ-PASSWORD-1:Password needed for SSID foobar
> password 1 mysecretpassword

Example request for generic token card challenge-response:

CTRL-REQ-OTP-2:Challenge 1235663 needed for SSID foobar
> otp 2 9876

COMMAND ARGUMENTS
-p path
Change the path where control sockets should be found.

-g control socket path
Connect to the global control socket at the indicated path rather than an inter-
face-specific control socket.

-i ifname
Specify the interface that is being configured. By default, choose the first inter-
face found with a control socket in the socket path.

-h Help. Show a usage message.

-v Show version information.

-B Run as a daemon in the background.

-a file
Run in daemon mode executing the action file based on events from wpa_supplicant.
The specified file will be executed with the first argument set to interface name
and second to "CONNECTED" or "DISCONNECTED" depending on the event. This can be
used to execute networking tools required to configure the interface.

Additionally, three environmental variables are available to the file:
WPA_CTRL_DIR, WPA_ID, and WPA_ID_STR. WPA_CTRL_DIR contains the absolute path to
the ctrl_interface socket. WPA_ID contains the unique network_id identifier
assigned to the active network, and WPA_ID_STR contains the content of the id_str
option.

-P file
Set the location of the PID file.

-G ping interval
Set the interval (in seconds) at which wpa_cli pings the supplicant.

command
Run a command. The available commands are listed in the next section.

COMMANDS
The following commands are available:

status get current WPA/EAPOL/EAP status

mib get MIB variables (dot1x, dot11)

help show this usage help

interface [ifname]
show interfaces/select interface

level <debug level>
change debug level

license
show full wpa_cli license

logoff IEEE 802.1X EAPOL state machine logoff

logon IEEE 802.1X EAPOL state machine logon

set set variables (shows list of variables when run without arguments)

pmksa show PMKSA cache

reassociate
force reassociation

reconfigure
force wpa_supplicant to re-read its configuration file

preauthenticate <BSSID>
force preauthentication

identity <network id> <identity>
configure identity for an SSID

password <network id> <password>
configure password for an SSID

pin <network id> <pin>
configure pin for an SSID

otp <network id> <password>
configure one-time-password for an SSID

bssid <network id> <BSSID>
set preferred BSSID for an SSID

list_networks
list configured networks

terminate
terminate wpa_supplicant

quit exit wpa_cli