--- layout: doc title: Anonymizing your MAC Address permalink: /doc/anonymizing-your-mac-address/ redirect_from: - /doc/randomizing-your-mac-address/ --- Anonymizing your MAC Address ============================ Changing the default [MAC Address](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address) of your hardware is [crucial in protecting privacy](https://tails.boum.org/contribute/design/MAC_address/#index1h1). Currently, Qubes OS *does not* "anonymize" or spoof the MAC Address, so until this is implemented by default you can randomize your MAC Address with the following guide. ## Configuring Qubes First thing you need to do is install **macchanger** package by opening your `fedora-23` TemplateVM and typing ``` sudo dnf install macchanger ``` Then create the file `macspoof@.service` in `fedora-23` located at `/etc/systemd/system/` directory using a text editor such as `vim`, `emacs`, or `gedit` ``` sudo gedit /etc/systemd/system/macspoof@.service ``` Paste the following inside of that newly created file ``` [Unit] Description=macchanger on %I # Hack since macspoof@%i contains @ which is not allowed yet ConditionPathExists=/var/run/qubes-service/macspoof-%i Wants=network-pre.target Before=network-pre.target BindsTo=sys-subsystem-net-devices-%i.device After=sys-subsystem-net-devices-%i.device [Service] ExecStart=/usr/bin/macchanger -e %I Type=oneshot [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target ``` **How random do you want your MAC address?** Note in the above line `ExecStart=/usr/bin/macchanger -e %I` we recommend the use of `macchanger` with the `-e` flag which randomizes the MAC address to an address by the same device vendor/manufacturer. There a [number of other flags](http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/xenial/en/man1/macchanger.1.html) you could use instead, such as `-r` which makes a totally random MAC address, which may map to a non-existent device vendor/manufacturer and make it obvious you are spoofing your MAC address. Some reasons why we have recommended `-e` rather than `-r` are in these resources: * https://tails.boum.org/contribute/design/MAC_address/#index5h2 * https://tails.boum.org/contribute/design/MAC_address/#limitation-only-spoof-nic-part * https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AnonymizingNetworkMACAddresses#Fully_Random **Get the right iface names** It's crucial to get the correct **iface name** for the devices (ethernet and wifi) you want to randomize. To get this, open your `sys-net` (or wherever your device drivers are) and type in `terminal` the command `ifconfig` the printout will look like: ``` enp0s0: flags=4099 mtu 1500 ether 9e:d6:53:02:4b:b6 txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet) RX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B) RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0 TX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B) TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0 device interrupt 52 memory 0xe1200000-e1220000 lo: flags=73 mtu 65536 inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 255.0.0.0 inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128 scopeid 0x10 loop txqueuelen 0 (Local Loopback) RX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B) RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0 TX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B) TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0 wlp0s1: flags=4163 mtu 1500 inet 192.168.2.121 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 192.168.2.255 inet6 fe80::3602:86ff:fe1f:a7cf prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x20 ether 06:6d:70:a8:7b:35 txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet) RX packets 41 bytes 5138 (5.0 KiB) RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0 TX packets 32 bytes 3712 (3.6 KiB) TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0 ``` The **iface name** values you're interested in are `enp0s0` and `wlp0s1` as those represent your ethernet and wifi devices, respectively. Also, in this printout is your **actual MAC addresses** which are needed to verify the randomizing is working correctly. In this example, the ethernet and wifi addresses are `ether 9e:d6:53:02:4b:b6` and `ether 06:6d:70:a8:7b:35` respectively. *Copy these MAC addresses down somewhere for later.* Now, go back to your `fedora-23` TemplateVM and use the `touch` command to create service files in the appropriate place, note that the `iface name` values at the end: ``` cd /var/run/qubes-service/ sudo touch macspoof-enp0s0 sudo touch macspoof-wlp0s1 ``` Verify the correct files exist in the directory ``` [user@fedora-23 qubes-service]$ ls cups macspoof-wlp0s1 qubes-update-check macspoof-enp0s0 meminfo-writer updates-proxy-setup ``` Now, also within the TemplateVM, type the following commands for each hardware device that you want to randomize a MAC addresses for ``` sudo systemctl enable macspoof@wlp0s1 Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/macspoof@wlp0s1.service to /etc/systemd/system/macspoof@.service. sudo systemctl enable macspoof@enp0s0 Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/macspoof@enp0s0.service to /etc/systemd/system/macspoof@.service. ``` Now you can do the following: - Stop your `fedora-23` VM - Stop your `sys-net` VM Open your VM settings for `sys-net`, navigate to Services, and add the new services: - macspoof-wlp0s1 - macspoof-enp0s0 Alternatively, you can enable these services for `sys-net` from the command line by opening up Terminal in `dom0` and running the following: ``` qubes-service -e sys-net macspoof-wlp0s1 qubes-service -e sys-net macspoof-enp0s0 ``` Now restart `sys-net`. **Verify it works** Go back to your `sys-net` VM terminal, type `ifconfig` and as before look at the values starting with `ether` such as `ether 9e:d6:53:02:4b:b6` which should now look different from the previous values. Your MAC address should now randomize each time you restart your computer or restart the `sys-net` VM. --- ## Usage Notes This approach to MAC Randomizing has been tested and used by some users as well as some of the Qubes team. Observations that are to be expected are: - This does not randomize your MAC Address on sleep and wake state (only on restarting the `sys-net` VM) - The `sys-net` networking VM takes longer for device drivers to start up than usual, this delayed startup may cause the first attempt of `sys-whonix` to connect to Tor to fail ## Disabling / Uninstalling To disable MAC Randomizing if you find that a network connecting to does not like changing MAC Addresses, you can disable temporarily or if you want to permanently remove this solution, do the following: **Disable Temporarily** - Go to the `Services` pane on your `sys-net` and uncheck all services starting with `macspoof-` **Uninstall Permanently** - Go to the `Services` pane on your `sys-net` and highlight the services starting with `macspoof-` - Now click the `-` minus button to remove the service - In your `fedora-23` type `sudo systemctl disable macspoof@wlp0s1` - Also in `fedora-23` type `sudo systemctl disable macspoof@enp0s0` - Remove the service file `sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/macspoof@.service` in TemplateVM - Delete the package `sudo dnf remove macchanger`