Wireshark USB Sniffer: A Powerful Tool for Analyzing USB Traffic

Wireshark, a popular network protocol analyzer, has been extended to support USB sniffing through the libpcap library. This feature enables users to capture and analyze USB traffic, providing valuable insights into the data being transferred between devices. In this article, we will explore the Wireshark USB sniffer, its capabilities, and how to set it up.

Understanding USB Sniffing

USB sniffing involves capturing and analyzing the data transmitted over a USB bus. This process is made possible by the libpcap library, which provides a way to capture packets (URBs) at the device level. The kernel, in turn, provides two events for each captured packet: submit and complete.

The submit event is triggered when the USB data transfer begins, while the complete event is triggered when the transfer is finished. This allows users to monitor the entire data transfer process, including any errors that may occur.

Capturing USB Traffic with Wireshark

To capture USB traffic using Wireshark, you need to set up your hardware and software correctly. The nRF Sniffer for 802.15.4 is a popular option that provides precompiled firmware and instructions on how to install it.

The sniffer uses the libpcap library to capture packets at the device level and passes them to Wireshark for decoding. Wireshark can then decode the captured frames, providing information about the messages being sent in mesh networks.

Setting Up the Sniffer

To set up the sniffer, you will need the following hardware and software:

* nRF Connect for Desktop with Programmer application installed

* Sniffer firmware binary (available on the Obtaining the Firmware page)

* PCA10059 Dongle (for additional requirements)

For Ubuntu Linux users, you will also need to install one of the following:

* Windows: pySerial Python package from pip

* PC running a Linux-based operating system, Windows, or MacOS

Once you have all the required hardware and software, you can follow these steps to set up the sniffer:

1. Obtain the precompiled firmware for your device.

2. Flash the firmware onto your device using the nRF Connect for Desktop application.

3. Install Wireshark and the extcap plugin on your computer.

Capturing USB Traffic with Wireshark

To capture USB traffic using Wireshark, follow these steps:

1. Open Wireshark and select 'Capture' > 'Options.'

2. In the 'Capture Options' window, select 'USB' as the interface.

3. Set the capture filter to capture all USB traffic (or a specific device or bus if needed).

4. Click 'Start' to begin capturing USB traffic.

Analyzing Captured Frames

Once you have captured some USB traffic, you can analyze it using Wireshark's built-in features. The sniffer captures frames at the device level, so you will need to decode them to extract meaningful information.

Wireshark provides a range of features for decoding and analyzing captured frames, including:

* Protocol decoding: Wireshark can automatically decode common protocols such as Thread and Zigbee.

* Frame analysis: Wireshark allows you to analyze individual frames, providing detailed information about the frame's contents.

* Statistics: Wireshark provides statistics on the captured traffic, including packet counts and error rates.

Wireshark USB sniffer is a powerful tool for analyzing USB traffic. By capturing and decoding USB packets, you can gain valuable insights into the data being transferred between devices. With its ease of use and advanced features, Wireshark is an essential tool for anyone working with USB devices or developing embedded systems.

In this article, we have explored the capabilities of the Wireshark USB sniffer and provided a step-by-step guide on how to set it up. Whether you are a developer, network administrator, or IT professional, the Wireshark USB sniffer is an invaluable tool for analyzing USB traffic and troubleshooting issues.

Wireshark usb sniffer