Analyzing Wi-Fi Probe Requests: Insights Into MAC Randomization and Broadcasting Dynamics

Mobile devices with enabled Wi-Fi continuously discover nearby access points by broadcasting management frames known as probe requests. This broadcasting leaks fingerprints that can be used to identify the presence and movement of flow in a given area. To protect users' privacy and location, probe requests use randomized MAC addresses generated according to the randomization protocols. In this paper, we analyze the behavior and characteristics of probe request frames across different devices from various vendors, operating systems, and features, as well as the influence of user-device interaction in different phases. In particular, we provide a detailed examination of the adoption of MAC address randomization techniques to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of recent randomization policies and to demonstrate that, despite the OS implementation, there is still potential to utilize open Wi-Fi in different services and development.