--- name: "wpa_cli" section: "8" platform: "linux" package: "wpa_supplicant" version: "2:2.12-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/wpa_cli/8" --- # wpa\_cli(8) WPA command line client ## 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 password, 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 command 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-\-\:\" prefix. \ is IDENTITY, PASSWORD, or OTP (one-time-password). \ is a unique identifier for the current network. \ 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. \ 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\_supplicant 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 interface-specific control socket. - **-i ifname** Specify the interface that is being configured. By default, choose the first interface 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 \** 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 \** force preauthentication - **identity \ \** configure identity for an SSID - **password \ \** configure password for an SSID - **pin \ \** configure pin for an SSID - **otp \ \** configure one-time-password for an SSID - **bssid \ \** set preferred BSSID for an SSID - **list\_networks** list configured networks - **terminate** terminate **wpa\_supplicant** - **quit** exit wpa\_cli ## SEE ALSO [**wpa\_supplicant**(8)](/wpa_supplicant/8.md) ## LEGAL wpa\_supplicant is copyright (c) 2003-2022, Jouni Malinen \ and contributors. All Rights Reserved. This program is licensed under the BSD license (the one with advertisement clause removed).