GNU Linux how to randomly randomize change mac address with every boot for enhanced privacy

10.Mar.2024

Administration / Server, networking, Privacy / convenience vs surveillance / Orwell

network mac’s are used to uniquely identify systems and users and thus a privacy problem
so mac randomization should be enabled per default on every distribution for every wifi network card (maybe interactively during setup ask the user to enable it for LAN nics as well)
every good (Android) Smart Phone (nowadays) SHOULD have this enabled automatically (more on this directly from Google)

on GNU Linux (Debian 12) this feature needs to be manually installed:

hostnamectl; # tested on
Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)  
          Kernel: Linux 6.1.0-18-amd64
    Architecture: x86-64

su - root
apt install macchanger

it will ask:

change the mac of interface enp4s0:

macchanger -r enp4s0

it SHOULD now change the mac with ervery boot 🙂

PS: what this ALSO means the IP of the PC will also CHANGE with every boot, so if the user needs fixed ips set this up properly for example in network manager, systemd or what have crazy complicated software there is.

possible problems:

macchanger -r wlp3s0
Current MAC: 28:b2:xx:xx:xx:xx (Intel Corporate)
Permanent MAC: 28:b2:xx:xx:xx:xx (Intel Corporate)
[ERROR] Could not change MAC: interface up or insufficient permissions: Device or resource busy

# workaround
ifconfig wlp3s0 down
macchanger -r wlp3s0
ifconfig wlp3s0 up

# result might look like this
Current MAC:   f4:c8:8a:aa:aa:aa (unknown)
Permanent MAC: f4:c8:8a:aa:aa:aa (unknown)
New MAC:       42:7d:d1:bb:bb:bb (unknown)

links: how “permanent” are macs?

“Yes, the MAC address is permanent! MAC addresses are assigned to all network adapters at the moment of their manufacture, and they are unique for each networking device.”
- “The MAC address of a network device is written by its manufacturer directly in that device’s hardware read-only memory, and cannot be removed from there.” (src)
- “And No, the MAC address is not permanent!”
  - “Although the MAC address cannot be erased from a networking device” (Permanent MAC) “it can be spoofed.”
  - (temporarily) “replace the default MAC address easily”
  - “However, because the original MAC address cannot be removed, you can always reset your networking device to use the original MAC address.” (src)

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