https://github.com/term7/MacOS-Privacy-and-Security-Enhancements/tree/main/04_SpoofMAC
Recently many users of SpoofMac have complained that SpoofMac stopped working from the commandline. We can confirm that there is a small issue: With recent updates it is not possible anymore to change the MAC address of the wifi card without switching off wifi first! We have prepared a newer guide to install SpoofMAC that makes use of npm instead of Python.
This installation script is targeted to users who wish to make informed decisions and who want to improve their privacy and security on a Mac. We want everybody to be able to able to do this installation, which is why this script is meant to be educative and a source of learning - especially for users who have never used the command line (Terminal.app) before.
SpoofMAC is a Python script written by feross:
Feross also provides a node.js port of this package with easy-to-follow installation instructions:
Our script has been tested on MacOS Big Sur. The installation is running stable on our own Macs.
However, we will not provide warranties of any kind. Only you are resposible if you break something during this installation. To suggest improvements, please report an issue or send a pull request.
"I made SpoofMac because changing your MAC address in Mac OS X is harder than it should be. The biggest annoyance is that the Wi-Fi card (Airport) needs to be manually disassociated from any connected networks in order for the change to be applied correctly. Doing this manually every time is tedious and lame."
(Feross Aboukhadijeh / Maker of SpoofMac)
To spoof your MAC address is especially recommended if you are working on a laptop using public Wifi in order to mitigate tracking methods that identify and track your devices MAC address.
We are using MacPorts, which is why this script will use the default MacPorts directory as an install location.
02_Install_SpoofMac.sh is a script that will set up SpoofMAC (by Feross Aboukhadijeh) for you. Simply execute the installation script in a terminal window, when prompted type your admin password and press ENTER. The script will run all necessary commands for you. It also sets up a Launch Daemon that automatically randomizes Wifi and Ethernet MAC addresses of your computer whenever you start it. You can review the whole installation process in your terminal window. For advanced users, who want to speed up the whole process, we recommend you use 02_Speedy_Install_SpoofMac.sh.
After the installation SpoofMAC will automatically run on your Mac whenever you start your computer.
If you don't want to use SpoofMAC anymore, simply run 02_Uninstall_SpoofMac.sh to purge SpoofMAC and the SpoofMAC launch daemon from your system.
When you run the SpoofMAC-Installer or SpoofMAC your Wifi connection might be interrupted. This is normal. Simply reconnect to the internet after the installation has finished.
You can use SpoofMac to manually change your MAC addresses via the command line. To do so, open a Terminal Window to type commands.
List all usage instructions:
spoof-mac --help
List all available devices:
spoof-mac list
- "Ethernet" on device "en0" with MAC address 70:56:51:BE:B3:00
- "Wi-Fi" on device "en1" with MAC address 70:56:51:BE:B3:01
currently set to 70:56:51:BE:B3:02
- "Bluetooth PAN" on device "en1"
List available devices, but only those on Wi-Fi:
spoof-mac list --wifi
- "Wi-Fi" on device "en1" with MAC address 70:56:51:BE:B3:01
currently set to 70:56:51:BE:B3:02
Randomize MAC address (requires root) using hardware port name:
sudo spoof-mac randomize wi-fi
Randomize MAC address (requires root) using device name:
sudo spoof-mac randomize en0
Set device MAC address to something specific (requires root):
sudo spoof-mac set 00:00:00:00:00:00 en0
Reset device to its original MAC address (requires root):
spoof-mac reset wi-fi
The MAC address of a wireless device constitutes an excellent unique identifier to track its owner. In fact MAC address of wireless devices are collected and stored by several systems. A first example is the network infrastructure that is often storing information on the device that are connecting to it. For instance logs of wireless routers include the MAC address of all the devices that have been connected. Those logs contains event related to management aspect of the wireless network (association, authentication, disconnection, etc.) and each event associates a macaddress with a timestamp. The second example is the Radio-Frequency tracking systems [12] that are specifically designed to track the movement of individuals thanks to the wireless devices that they are wearing. Those systems are based on a set of sensors collecting wireless signals that triangulate and track over time the movement of individuals. Those systems are deployed in areas such as shopping centres, museum, roads where they provide valuable information on mobility patterns and shopping habits.
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