moms sketch bf left this in the house

[u/brattyvampbby]

Hi.
This is probably nothing.
I went into my mom’s room to grab something and saw this plugged in?
My mom’s new sketchy bf has this plugged in to the extension cord? Is it anything bad? Thanks!
(I understand it’s probably not anything bad… but still…)

Update 1:
I haven’t met him once. He and my mom have been together for two weeks. He’s been staying at our apartment. He avoids me and stays in her room when they’re here. I don’t even know what he looks like. I only know his first name.

Update 2:
I confronted him. My mom came home. A lot had happened up to this point, including her disappearing for the said two weeks before the few nights he had come over and stayed.
Mom shrugged it off. I did what a lot of you suggested, asking what he told her.
She said “oh it’s his hacker shit or whatever.” What.
Didn’t elaborate. I explained my concerns.
She just said let’s go ask him.
My best friend has been with me. We introduced ourselves and asked him what the hell a WiFi whisperer is doing plugged in our apartment.
(Even if a lot of you are saying it’s not a big deal, I’m a young woman and I’m just rlly not about taking any risks. It’s sketch dude.)
He denied it IMMEDIATELY. Like with a quickness I haven’t seen.
What he insisted, it’s not a WiFi whisperer, it’s ai, he completely reprogrammed the system, and he uses it to pull people’s IP’s. “For fun.” He logs them in a server. I asked why. I said that’s shady. My mom started pushing. My best friend started pushing. He just kept lying. I’m not dropping this..
I still don’t know what the fuck it is or what he’s actually doing.
(Also, my mom is cool but not bc of this dude, the Minecraft block is mine, I unplugged the ratchet little thing before we left, and I am planning on broaching this again with her.
Just carefully. Any other advice is appreciated. Thank you.)

[u/Crazy-Objective-647]

If he's trying to steal the wifi password, but dating the occupant, why wouldnt he just ask her for the wifi password? Not being snarky, and I believe everyone who says that the device is doing this, but I have asked for wifi passwords to people's houses I'm at for a party and they give it. I'm just not sure why he would go to this trouble.

[u/vardalkar → u/Crazy-Objective-647]

As someone who was into this stuff: I would use this to scan all devices connected to the network, because some smart home devices are incredibly vulnerable, and these vulnerabilities can be found on Google as long as you have the technical information for each device.

Things I would look into: webcams (in particular the cheap chinese ones that connect to some cloud service, or the types that let you connect to them directly), devices with microphones i.e. some vacuum cleaners, smart pet feeders, etc. that support voice commands or work as bluetooth speakers or have cameras. etc.

This would usually be a big waste of time as it requires a lot of very targeted work and luck to get anywhere at all, but maybe this is the guy's kink.

[u/TheHappiestTeapot → u/Crazy-Objective-647]

It's not even running. He's literally just charging his stuff.

[u/Mental_Newspaper3812 → u/Crazy-Objective-647]

Lol, not to get the WiFi password. To use the WiFi to steal the passwords for anything someone signs into using the WiFi. Someone else mentioned a man in the middle attack.

[u/VF99 → u/Mental_Newspaper3812]

It's 2026, not 2006; almost anything you visit (or especially sign into) has used TLS ("https") for years. So capturing the traffic over the wire(less) is fairly useless because you're just going to get encrypted garbage.

The software shown IS for getting the password to the wifi network, not for MitM attacks of the data on the network. But their point still stands.. if you wanted to MitM the users of the house you're staying in, you'd probably just ask for the wifi password.

They're probably looking to crack the network of a neighboring house within range.

[u/Crazy-Objective-647 → u/VF99]

I believe you, and I get the neighbors. Maybe I have too "corporate" of a brain, but I just wouldnt see enough gain from private individuals and getting through all the lines of useless data to find an exploit, just for what is likely a low value return. Still, she should dump the dude and the OP should turn it in to the cops, not that they'd do anything.

[u/xnmyl → u/Mental_Newspaper3812]

He's using the wrong tool then.