How to Find & Recover Saved WiFi Passwords in Kali Linux (2025) – Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide

How to view saved WiFi passwords in my Kali Linux PC? asked one of our reader, so in this post let's see how to find wifi saved passwords in our linux PC. 

Let's be honest—if you're using Kali Linux, you're probably a tech-savvy warrior. You do things, tweak, configure, and push Linux to its limits. But then, one fine day, you’re sitting there staring at your WiFi settings, thinking...

"Wait, what was my WiFi password again?" 🤦‍♂️

You connected automatically, but now you need the actual password—whether it's for reconnecting on another device or just knowing where Kali stores it.

Now, if you’re on Windows or macOS, they make it super easy—just click around in settings, and boom, you get the WiFi key.

But Kali Linux? Nah.

Here, you gotta work for it. Kali keeps those WiFi passwords stored deep inside system files, and if you don’t know where to look, it’s like searching for treasure without a map.

And that’s exactly what I’ll show you exactly how to find, retrieve, and recover saved WiFi passwords—whether you’re using the Terminal method, GUI methods, or troubleshooting tricky situations.

Where Are Saved WiFi Passwords Stored in Kali Linux?

Before we start pulling passwords, let’s understand how Kali Linux stores them. Unlike Windows, which keeps WiFi passwords easily accessible, Linux stores them deep inside configuration files.

💡 Default WiFi Password Storage Location in Kali Linux

/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/

Inside this folder, you’ll find files named after your connected networks (SSID). These files contain all connection details, including the WiFi password, but you can’t open them normally without sudo/root access.

Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Saved WiFi Passwords in Kali Linux

🔥 Follow these steps to extract saved WiFi passwords!

Method 1: Using Terminal Commands (Fastest Way)

✅ Step 1: Open Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) 

 ✅ Step 2: Run the following command:

 Sudo grep psk= /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/*

Hit enter, if it asks for admin/root password, type your root password, and you will get the WiFi passwords.

Step 4: View the WiFi password—it will be displayed next to psk=

💡 Example Output: psk=Logeshwaran.org

🚀 Boom! You've got your WiFi password!

Method 2: Using Configuration File Access (Manual Method)

✅ Step 1: Navigate to the system-connections folder

cd /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/

✅ Step 2: List all saved WiFi networks

ls

✅ Step 3: Open the desired connection file

sudo cat "YourWiFiNetworkName"

✅ Step 4: Look for the line that says psk=—that’s your WiFi password!

🔥 Pro Tip: If you get a permission denied error, run: 

sudo chmod 600 /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/*

Troubleshooting Common WiFi Password Recovery Issues

🚨 Issue 1: "Permission Denied" Error ✅ Solution → Run:

sudo chmod 600 /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/*

🚨 Issue 2: No Password Found ✅ Solution → Try running:

sudo nmcli connection show "YourWiFiNetworkName"

Sometimes passwords are stored under nmcli configurations instead! Don't panic, when i say nmcli its nothing but nmcli (NetworkManager Command Line Interface) is a powerful Linux command-line tool for managing network connections.

🚨 Issue 3: WiFi Connection Profile Missing ✅ Solution → Restore old connections from:

/var/lib/NetworkManager/

How to Secure Your Saved WiFi Passwords in Kali Linux

✅ Disable Auto-Saving of WiFi Passwords If you're on a shared system, you might want Kali NOT to store passwords permanently. To disable auto-save:

sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/"YourWiFiNetworkName"

Find the line psk=YourPassword, delete it, then save the file.

🔥 Pro Tip: Also disable NetworkManager saving credentials with:

sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager

Quick FAQ Section

💡 Users often ask these WiFi password recovery questions

🔹 Q: Where are WiFi passwords stored in Kali Linux? 

 ✅ A: Inside /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/, under SSID names.

🔹 Q: Why can’t I see my WiFi password in the configuration file?

 ✅ A: You need root access—use sudo before running commands.

🔹 Q: Can I recover a deleted WiFi connection password? ✅ A: Check /var/lib/NetworkManager/—it stores old connections.

That's it, we are at end of the post, You’re Now a Kali Linux WiFi Password Recovery Expert!

✅ You now know exactly where Kali Linux stores saved WiFi passwords! which works on all Kali Linux versions including 2025 & beyond!

Hope it is helpful :)

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