WPA_CLI(8) | System Manager's Manual | WPA_CLI(8)

# NAME

wpa_cli — text-based frontend program for interacting with wpa_supplicant

# SYNOPSIS

wpa_cli | [commands]

# DESCRIPTION

The wpa_cli utility is a text-based frontend program for interacting with wpa_supplicant(8). It is used to query current status, change configuration, trigger events, and request interactive user input.

The wpa_cli utility can show the current authentication status, selected security mode, dot11 and dot1x MIBs, etc. In addition, wpa_cli can configure EAPOL state machine parameters and trigger events such as reassociation and IEEE 802.1X logoff/logon.

The wpa_cli utility provides an interface to supply authentication information such as username and password when it is not provided in the wpa_supplicant.conf(5) configuration file. This can be used, for example, to implement 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 wpa_cli utility supports two modes: interactive and command line. Both modes share the same command set and the main difference is that in interactive mode, wpa_cli provides access to unsolicited messages (event messages, username/password requests).

Interactive mode is started when wpa_cli is executed without any parameters on the command line. Commands are then entered from the controlling terminal in response to the wpa_cli prompt. In command line mode, the same commands are entered as command line arguments.

The control interface of wpa_supplicant(8) can be configured to allow non-root user access by using the ctrl_interface_group parameter in the wpa_supplicant.conf(5) configuration file. This makes it possible to run wpa_cli with a normal user account.

# AUTHENTICATION PARAMETERS

When wpa_supplicant(8) needs authentication parameters, such as username and password, that are not present in the configuration file, it sends a request message to all attached frontend programs, e.g., wpa_cli in interactive mode. The wpa_cli utility shows these requests with a “`CTRL-REQ-`<type>`-`<id>``:<text>” prefix, where <type> is `IDENTITY`, `PASSWORD`, or `OTP` (one-time password), <id> is a unique identifier for the current network, and <text> is description of the request. In the case of a `OTP` (One Time Password) request, it includes the challenge from the authentication server.

A user must supply wpa_supplicant(8) the needed parameters in response to these requests.

For example,

    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

# COMMANDS

The following commands may be supplied on the command line or at a prompt when operating interactively.

status
  Report the current WPA/EAPOL/EAP status for the current interface.
mib
  Report MIB variables (dot1x, dot11) for the current interface.
help
  Show usage help.
interface [ifname]
  Show available interfaces and/or set the current interface when multiple are available.
level debug_level
  Change the debugging level in wpa_supplicant(8). Larger numbers generate more messages.
license
  Display the full license for wpa_cli.
logoff
  Send the IEEE 802.1X EAPOL state machine into the “logoff” state.
logon
  Send the IEEE 802.1X EAPOL state machine into the “logon” state.
set [settings]
  Set variables. When no arguments are supplied, the known variables and their settings are displayed.
pmksa
  Show the contents of the PMKSA cache.
reassociate
  Force a reassociation to the current access point.
reconfigure
  Force wpa_supplicant(8) to re-read its configuration file.
preauthenticate BSSID
  Force preauthentication of the specified BSSID.
identity network_id identity
  Configure an identity for an SSID.
password network_id password
  Configure a password for an SSID.
otp network_id password
  Configure a one-time password for an SSID.
terminate
  Force wpa_supplicant(8) to terminate.
quit
  Exit wpa_cli.

# SEE ALSO

wpa_supplicant.conf(5), wpa_supplicant(8)

# HISTORY

The wpa_cli utility first appeared in NetBSD 4.0.

# AUTHORS

The wpa_cli utility was written by Jouni Malinen <jkmaline@cc.hut.fi>. This manual page is derived from the README file included in the wpa_supplicant distribution.

October 1, 2005 | NetBSD 6.0