Your MAC Address Can be Detected Easily When Your Smartphone Connected to the Wi-Fi

Authors

  • Syifaul Fuada Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5258-5149
  • Raihan Fakhri Rabbani Program Studi Sistem Telekomunikasi, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
  • Nuur Wachid Abdul Majid Program Studi Pendidikan Sistem dan Teknologi Informasi, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
  • Prasetiyo Prasetiyo Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
  • Rahmat Muttaqin Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
  • Trio Adiono Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia
  • Shorful Islam Stream Intelligence Ltd., London, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v15i07.17169

Keywords:

MAC layer data, Time-stamp, RSSI, Smartphone, Wi-Fi tracking system

Abstract


In this short paper, we prove that smartphones connected to Wi-Fi can be detected (scanned) easily with a Raspberry Pi help. According to the observation, the smartphone eventually broadcasts some packets of data containing MAC layers data. The period of broadcasting data depends on the smartphone’s state (active scanning/sleep). Besides MAC layers data, we also detect/capture other parameters, i.e., wireless signature data transmitted by smartphone (RSSI) and Time-stamp. The RSSI value measured in this test has a range from –30 dBm to –80 dBm. The result proves that different smartphones give different RSSI values (each smartphone emits different power strength). The RSSI value has more significant changes in a short-range (in this test result, 1 to 10 meters) and less significant change in a long-distance (above 20 meters). MAC address, time-stamp, and RSSI scanned/captured successfully through Raspberry Pi from the smartphones can be used as a reference for various purposes/applications in future work, such as Wi-Fi scanning/tracking system.

Author Biographies

Syifaul Fuada, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

Syifaul Fuada is with the Program Studi Sistem Telekomunikasi Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) as a Lecturer. His research interests include analog circuit design and instrumentation, circuit simulation, engineering education, IoT, multimedia learning development, wireless communication (e.g., Visible Light Communication, Li-Fi, etc.)

Raihan Fakhri Rabbani, Program Studi Sistem Telekomunikasi, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

Raihan Fakhri Rabbani is a student of Program Studi Sistem Telekomunikasi Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI). Jln. Dr. Setiabudhi Nomor 229 Bandung 40154 Telp/Fax. (022) 2001908 – 2002007, West Java, Indonesia, email: raihanfakhri36@gmail.com

Nuur Wachid Abdul Majid, Program Studi Pendidikan Sistem dan Teknologi Informasi, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

Nuur Wachid Abdul Majid received a S.Pd. in Informatics Engineering of Education and a M.Pd. in Technology and Vocational Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Now, he is a lecturer in Program Studi Pendidikan Sistem dan Teknologi Informasi, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. His research interests include related to informatic education and information system.

Prasetiyo Prasetiyo, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea

Prasetiyo received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, in 2015 and Master Degree in Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2019. Currently, he is pursuing Ph.D. degree in KAIST. His research interests include Wireless communication, VLSI, analog integrated circuits design, and CMOS technology.

Rahmat Muttaqin, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia

Rahmat Muttaqin is a received the B.S. degree and M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, in 2014 and 2020, respectively. Office address: Gd. Achmad Bakrie (Labtek VIII) Lt. IV, Jln. Ganesha No. 10 (40116), Kampus ITB, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Trio Adiono, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia

Trio Adiono is a Full professor and a senior lecturer at the School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, and formerly serves as the Head of the Microelectronics Center, Institut Teknologi Bandung. His research interests include VLSI design, signal and image processing, VLC, smart cards, and electronics solution design and integration. Office address: Lab. Integrated Circuit Design, Pusat Mikroelekronika, Gd. PAU Lt. IV, Jln. Tamansari No. 126 (40132), Kampus ITB, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, email: tadiono@stei.itb.ac.id

Shorful Islam, Stream Intelligence Ltd., London, United Kingdom

Shorful Islam received the B.Sc. degree in University of Hertfordshire in 1995, M.Sc. degree in the University of Kent in 1996, and Ph.D. degree in the University of Lincoln in 1999. He serves an advisor of Stream Intelligence. Currently, he is working with a Cyber Security startup, building out their product and analytical capabilities and also running an analytics consultancy. His interest related to analysts, strategists, creatives, techies, and brainstorming solutions.

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Published

2021-04-09

How to Cite

Fuada, S., Rabbani, R. F., Majid, N. W. A., Prasetiyo, P., Muttaqin, R., Adiono, T., & Islam, S. (2021). Your MAC Address Can be Detected Easily When Your Smartphone Connected to the Wi-Fi. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 15(07), pp. 176–184. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v15i07.17169

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 07 (2021)

Section

Short Papers