🗒️Best Resources for OSWP

Since I had very limited time to prepare for the OSWP exam, my approach was simple and practical. Instead of creating detailed notes, I focused on understanding the tools, the attack mindset, and the overall workflow required to crack the exam. Most of my preparation revolved around cheat sheets rather than long theory notes.

Whenever I had free time, I spent it reading blog posts and write-ups from people who had already cleared the exam. These blogs were extremely helpful in understanding what actually matters for the exam and how to approach different wireless attack scenarios.

Below is a list of the best resources and blogs I found during my preparation. I’ve also included the consolidated cheat sheet I created for my own reference, which helped me quickly recall commands and workflows during the exam.

These resources played a major role in helping me prepare efficiently, especially with such a short preparation window.

Resources:

• Wi-Fi-Pentesting-Cheatsheet - Antlarac

• OSWP Personal Cheatsheet - Liodeus

• WirelessPentesting-CheatSheet - V0lk3n

• OSWP - Brcyrr

• OSWP-Exam-Notes - TheH4ck3rDude

• Walkthrough Wifi-Challenge lab 2.0

• OSWP Exam Review - TheH4ck3rDude

• OSWP Study Guide - Alenperic

• OSWP - iPhantasmic

OSWP Cheatsheet

1. Interface Setup & Driver Management

Tool	Command	Description
iwconfig	iwconfig	Display wireless interfaces
iw	iw dev	Show wireless devices
airmon-ng	airmon-ng check kill	Kill conflicting processes
airmon-ng	airmon-ng start wlan0	Enable monitor mode
ip	ip link set wlan0 up	Bring interface up
rfkill	rfkill unblock wifi	Unblock Wi-Fi

2. aircrack-ng Suite

airmon-ng (Monitor Mode)

Command	Description
airmon-ng	List wireless interfaces
airmon-ng start wlan0	Enable monitor mode
airmon-ng stop wlan0mon	Disable monitor mode

airodump-ng (Recon & Capture)

Command	Description
airodump-ng wlan0mon	Scan APs & clients
airodump-ng -c <CH> --bssid <AP> wlan0mon	Target specific AP
airodump-ng -c <CH> --bssid <AP> -w cap wlan0mon	Capture handshake
airodump-ng --band abg wlan0mon	Scan all bands

aireplay-ng (Client Interaction)

Command	Description
aireplay-ng --test wlan0mon	Test packet injection
aireplay-ng -0 5 -a <AP> wlan0mon	Deauth all clients
aireplay-ng -0 5 -a <AP> -c <CLIENT> wlan0mon	Deauth specific client

aircrack-ng (Handshake Validation & Cracking)

Command	Description
aircrack-ng cap.cap	Verify handshake
aircrack-ng -w wordlist.txt cap.cap	Dictionary attack
aircrack-ng -e <SSID> cap.cap	Crack specific SSID

3. hcxdumptool (PMKID / EAPOL Capture)

Command	Description
hcxdumptool -i wlan0mon -o dump.pcapng	Capture PMKID/EAPOL
hcxdumptool -i wlan0mon --enable_status=1 -o dump.pcapng	Live capture status
hcxdumptool -i wlan0mon --filterlist_ap=<BSSID> -o dump.pcapng	Target AP
hcxpcapngtool -o hash.hc22000 dump.pcapng	Convert for hashcat

4. hashcat (WPA/WPA2 Cracking)

Command	Description
hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 wordlist.txt	Crack WPA/WPA2
hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 -a 0 rockyou.txt	Dictionary attack
hashcat -m 22000 hash.hc22000 -r best64.rule	Rule-based attack
hashcat --show -m 22000 hash.hc22000	Show cracked keys
hashcat --status	Check progress

5. reaver (WPS Attacks)

Command	Description
reaver -i wlan0mon -b <BSSID> -c <CH> -vv	WPS brute-force
reaver -i wlan0mon -b <BSSID> -c <CH> -K 1	Pixie Dust attack
reaver --no-associate -i wlan0mon -b <BSSID>	No association mode
reaver -t 5 -vv -i wlan0mon -b <BSSID>	Timeout tuning

6. wpa_supplicant (Connect After Compromise)

Command	Description
wpa_passphrase SSID password > conf.conf	Generate config
wpa_supplicant -i wlan0 -c conf.conf	Connect to WPA/WPA2
wpa_supplicant -B -i wlan0 -c conf.conf	Background mode
dhclient wlan0	Obtain IP
wpa_cli status	Verify connection

Conclusion

The OSWP journey was short, intense, and surprisingly rewarding. Even with limited preparation time, the exam proved that with the right mindset, focused practice, and good resources, it’s absolutely manageable. The certification does a great job of testing real-world wireless attack skills rather than just theoretical knowledge.

While the lack of official labs can feel like a drawback at first, pairing the OSWP course material with the right external hands-on resources bridges that gap effectively. Understanding the fundamentals, knowing your tools well, and having a simple cheat sheet to fall back on can make a huge difference during the exam.

I hope this blog helps you plan your OSWP preparation more confidently and avoid some of the last-minute panic I went through. If you’re preparing for the exam, trust the process, practice smart, and remember—sometimes the packets just need a little more time to fly.

Good luck, and happy hacking.

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Hacker's Mantra: In the digital world, the price of silence is often your freedom. - Timsux Wales