MAC spoofing using windows platform

Every Network Interface Card (NIC) on any platform has unique MAC address that used to access Ethernet networks. The MAC address is hard coded by the network card manufacturer and on many security systems used as a platform identity for network access permission. Using the MAC address of a platform with network permission rights by an intruder or malicious software instead of its original address called MAC spoofing.

MAC address network access control
MAC address spoofing is quite an easy task for a potential intruder especially when using MAC address of network nodes that are inactive most of the time like network printers and networking time and attendance systems. This is the main reason for not using MAC address protection as a single network access control (NAC) mechanism but combining multiple protection methods to create safe and reliable security protection like Lan-Secure Security Center and Lan-Secure Switch Center Protector network security scanners.

MAC address spoofing
There are some nice tools and drivers that can be found on the net that will change MAC address of specific platform to any other MAC address. But it can be done easily on any windows platform using the windows built in registry editor. Here are the steps needed to change windows platform MAC address and gain access to the network as another platform MAC address:

Changing MAC address
1. Open windows registry editor by clicking the Start button selecting Run command and typing “RegEdit”.
2. Open registry folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002bE10318}.
3. Select the appropriate network card folder by viewing the data written on the folder DriverDesc value.
4. On the network card folder create new String Value named NetworkAddress and modify its data to the preferred MAC address using its 12 hexadecimal characters in a row.
5. Reset the network card adapter by disable and enable the card from windows Network Connections control panel.
6. Use IpConfig /all windows command to verify the new network card MAC address.

Clearing MAC address
1. Open windows registry editor by clicking the Start button selecting Run command and typing “RegEdit”.
2. Open registry folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002bE10318}.
3. Select the appropriate network card folder by viewing the data written on the folder DriverDesc value.
4. Delete the String Value named NetworkAddress.
5. Reset the network card adapter by disable and enable the card from windows Network Connections control panel.