kismet_rest

Python wrapper for Kismet REST interface.

Installing from PyPI

pip install kismet_rest

Installing from source

git clone https://github.com/kismetwireless/python-kismet-rest
cd python-kismet-rest && pip install .

Usage examples

Authentication and setup

Kismet now supports API tokens and roles. Use an API key with the admin role for controlling datasources, or a readonly key for queries. Pass it as apikey when creating an interface (basic auth via username / password also works).

Quickstart (modern API + API key):

from kismet_rest import Datasources, Devices

# Replace with your Kismet host and an API key (admin role for control)
ds = Datasources(host_uri="http://127.0.0.1:2501", apikey="YOUR_ADMIN_API_KEY")

# List datasources
for src in ds.all():
    print(src["kismet.datasource.uuid"], src["kismet.datasource.name"])

# Ensure a datasource is running (required before devices will appear)
target_uuid = "<UUID_FROM_LIST>"
ds.open(target_uuid)      # start it if it was not auto-started
ds.set_hop(target_uuid)   # optional: enable hopping

# Fetch recently active devices
dev = Devices(host_uri="http://127.0.0.1:2501", apikey="YOUR_READONLY_OR_ADMIN_KEY")
for device in dev.all(ts=0, fields=["kismet.device.base.macaddr"]):
    print(device.get("kismet.device.base.macaddr"))

Notes and troubleshooting

• Datasource control endpoints (pause/resume/close/open) require POST and the admin role in current Kismet releases.
• If no devices are returned, make sure at least one datasource is open/running; either configure it to auto-start in kismet.conf or call open(uuid) via the API.
• Device listing supports field simplification and regex filters; use the fields and regex kwargs with Devices.all to reduce response size.
• Tested against Kismet 2025-09-R1.

Legacy functionality (KismetConnector):

import kismet_rest
conn = kismet_rest.KismetConnector(username="my_user", password="my_pass")
for device in conn.device_summary():
    pprint.pprint(device)

Alerts since 2019-01-01:

import kismet_rest
alerts = kismet_rest.Alerts()
for alert in alerts.all(ts_sec=1546300800):
    print(alert)

Devices last observed since 2019-01-01:

import kismet_rest
devices = kismet_rest.Devices()
for device in devices.all(ts=1546300800):
    print(device)

Developer notes:

• Formatting commit messages: * Correctly-formatted commit messages will be organized in CHANGELOG.rst * Commit messages are formatted like this type: audience: message !tag * Type is for the type of change (new, chg) * Audience is for the audience of the commit note(usr,``test``,``doc``) * The message part is pretty self-explanatory. * The optional tag allows you to flag a commit for exclusion from CHANGELOG.rst.(minor or wip) * A commit message like this: new: usr: Made a new widget. will appear in CHANGELOG.rst, under the appropriate release, under the "New" section. * More info on message formatting: https://github.com/vaab/gitchangelog
• Updating CHANGELOG.rst: * Install gitchangelog: pip3 install gitchangelog * Make sure that __version__ is correct in kismet_rest/__init__.py * Build the new changelog: gitchangelog > CHANGELOG.rst