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Macchanger Cheat Sheet

macchanger is a utility used to view and change the MAC address of network interfaces. It is commonly used to enhance privacy, bypass basic MAC filtering, and reset network identity during testing.

Show Current MAC Address

macchanger -s wlan0

Displays: - Permanent MAC - Current MAC - Vendor

Change MAC to Random Value

macchanger -r wlan0

Randomizes MAC address.

Change MAC to Specific Address

macchanger -m 00:11:22:33:44:55 wlan0

Set MAC to Same Vendor

macchanger -a wlan0

Keeps vendor prefix, changes device identity.

Set MAC to Different Vendor

macchanger -A wlan0

Restore Original MAC

macchanger -p wlan0

Disable Interface Before Change

ip link set wlan0 down
macchanger -r wlan0
ip link set wlan0 up

Tip

MAC address changes require the interface to be down.

Change MAC Automatically on Boot

Edit config: 

/etc/default/macchanger

Example: 

ENABLE_ON_POST_UP_DOWN=yes

Typical Workflow

ip link set wlan0 down
macchanger -r wlan0
ip link set wlan0 up
iwconfig

Common Issues

Operation not permitted

Run as root or use sudo.

MAC resets after reconnect

NetworkManager may override MAC settings.

NetworkManager Integration

Edit: 

/etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

Add: 

[device]
wifi.scan-rand-mac-address=no

  • airmon-ng
  • bettercap
  • iw
  • net-tools

Use Cases

  • Privacy enhancement
  • Wireless testing
  • Bypass MAC filtering
  • Identity reset

Danger

Use MAC spoofing only on networks you own or have permission to test.