Wardriving is the practice of scanning and collecting data on nearby WiFi networks while on the move. This is typically done using a smartphone or a dedicated device equipped with software that records details about available networks, such as:
- SSID (WiFi network name)
- BSSID (unique identifier for the router/access point)
- Authentication type (WPA, WPA2, etc.)
- Signal strength
Even though many of these networks are password-protected, basic metadata like these can still be collected without connecting to them.
Source: Wardriving Rig Raspberry Pi4 4GB running kismet
In traditional wardriving, people drive around, continuously scanning for WiFi networks and recording their GPS locations. If you visit one neighborhood, you might detect dozens of unique WiFi networks. Then, as you move to another area, you’ll encounter an entirely different set of networks. This process helps build a database that maps WiFi networks to specific geographic locations.
How This Relates to WiFi Positioning Systems
On modern smartphones, location services provided by companies like Google and Apple use a technique similar to wardriving—but on a much larger scale. When you use apps like Google Maps or Apple’s location services, your device may collect data on nearby WiFi networks along with GPS coordinates (if location access is enabled). This information helps improve location accuracy, even when GPS signals are weak or unavailable.
This presentation, however, states that Apple is constantly collecting this data.
Now, what happens when you’re using a device without a GPS module, such as a laptop? How can it determine your precise location?
This is where WiFi Positioning Systems (WPS) come in. Because wardriving-style data collection has mapped the locations of countless WiFi networks, your device can scan for nearby networks and query a cloud database to retrieve the estimated location based on the detected WiFi signals. This technique allows devices to determine their position even in areas where GPS might not work well, such as indoors or in urban environments with signal obstructions.
Google and Apple leverage massive databases of WiFi access points to provide accurate location services, even without GPS.