KismetDB logs

If the Kismet Databaselog is enabled, Kismet will expose an API for extracting historic data. If the databaselog is not enabled, these APIs will not be available and will return an error.

Packet filtering

The filter options in are treated as logical AND statements: To match a packet, the packet must match all of the filter options passed in the command dictionary. In other words, a filter by time, datasource, and type, would only return packets within that time range, from that datasource, and of that type.

Filter options should be sent as GET parameters URL-encoded, when using the GET REST endpoint, and in a command dictionary under the filter key when using the POST endpoint.

Filter options

  1. Time window

    Packets can be selected by a time window which may either be closed (both start and end times specified) or open (only start or end time specified).

    Key Type Description
    timestamp_start double Posix timestamp as double-precision value (seconds.microseconds)
    timestamp_end double Posix timestamp as double-precision value (seconds.microseconds)

  2. Datasource

    Packets may be limited to a single data source, specified by UUID

    Key Type Description
    datasource text UUID UUID string of capture datasource

  3. Kismet device

    Packets may be limited to the specific Kismet device ID they belong to

    Key Type Description
    device_id text ID Kismet device ID

  4. Data type Limit matching to a specific data type / DLT (Data Link Type). This numeric DLT matches the libpcap link types and describes the physical frame type of the packet.

    Key Type Description
    dlt integer PCAP DLT

  5. Frequency

    Match only packets on the given frequency, if frequency information is available from the data source. Data sources which cannot report frequency will report as 0.

    Key Type Description
    frequency double Frequency in KHz
    frequency_min double Minimum frequency in KHz
    frequency_max double Maximum frequency in KHz

  6. Signal window

    Limit matching to a range of signal levels, which may be open (only min/max signal provided) or closed (min and max specified). Packets which have no signal data (such as packets captured by source types which do not support signal records) will have a reported signal of 0.

    Key Type Description
    signal_min int Minimum signal (in dBm)
    signal_max int Maximum signsl (in dBm)

  7. Device addresses

    Limit matching by decoded device address, if available. Not all capture phys report device addresses as MAC addresses, however the majority do.

    Key Type Description
    address_source text MAC Source MAC address
    address_dest text MAC Destination MAC address
    address_trans text MAC Transmitter MAC address (such as the AP BSSID)

  8. Location window

    Limit matching by location. Location windows should always be bounded rectangles of minimum and maximum coordinates. Coordinates are in decimal floating-point format (LL.LLLLL) and will be converted to the normalized non-floating internal values automatically.

    Key Type Description
    location_lat_min double Minimum corner latitude
    location_lon_min double Minimum corner longitude
    location_lat_max double Maximum corner latitude
    location_lon_max double Maximum corner longitude

  9. Packet size window

Limit matching by packet size. Size windows can define minimum and maximum or only minimum or maximum ranges.

Key Type Description
size_min int Minimum packet size, in bytes
size_max int Maximum packet size, in bytes

  1. Tags

    Packets can be tagged with various state information.

Key Type Description
tag string Tag to limit by
  1. Result limiting

Limit total packets returned.

Key Type Description
limit int Maximum results to return

Fetching historic packets

Packets can be fetched from the kismetdb, for all packets stored in the current session kismetdb log.

  • URL

    /logging/kismetdb/pcap/[TITLE].pcapng

    /logging/kismetdb/pcap/[TITLE].pcapng?option1=…&option2=…

  • API added

    2018-12

  • Methods

    GET POST

  • URL parameters

    Key Description
    [TITLE] File download title, does not impact pcap file generation.

    Additionally, when using the GET URI, the filter options defined above are accepted as HTTP GET URL-encoded variables.

  • POST parameters

    A command dictionary containing:

    Key Description
    filter A dictionary of the filter options defined above

  • Result

    HTTP 500 error if the kismet log type is not enabled.

    A pcapng stream will be generated of packets, if any, matching the filter options. This stream will be buffered at the rate that the client is able to download it, and the stream will be closed at the end of the query.

  • Notes

    If the kismet log is not enabled, this endpoint will return an error.

Dropping packets

On very long-running Kismet processes, you may wish to purge old packets. These packets will be removed from the kismetdb log.

  • URL

    /logging/kismetdb/pcap/drop.cmd

  • API added

    2018-12

  • Methods

    POST

  • POST parameters

    A command dictionary containing:

    Key Description
    drop_before A unix second timestamp value, packets older than drop_before will be deleted.

  • Result

    HTTP 200 on success

    HTTP error on failure

Updated: