Password cracking process involves recovering a password from storage locations or from data, transmitted by a computer system on network. Password cracking term refers to group of techniques used to get password from a data system.
Purpose and reason of password cracking includes gaining an unauthorized access to a computer system or it can be recovery of forgotten password. There might be another reason of using password cracking technique that is for testing password strength so hacker could not hack into system.
Probably the best known and loved “Password Cracker”; Huge community (even StackOverflow will be good for support); Cracks literally every offline type of file. Often you’ll see it abbreviated as ‘JTR’. JTR is an awesome bit of hacking software that is designed to crack even highly complex passwords. WiFi Password Hacking Software WiFi Cracko is the application developed in purpose to find password to access protected WPA/WEP, WPA2 & WPA3 network security types. Internet users who are not so highly educated about digital networking or computing in general usually have problems of recovering back their WiFi (WLAN) password in case they've. Decodes scrambled passwords. Reveals password boxes. Uncovers cached passwords. Dumps protected storage passwords. John the Riper- Useful Hacking Software. This useful hacking software is primarily used for cracking passwords open. Available for many flavors of Unix, DOS, Win32, BeOS and Open VMS.
Password cracking is normally performed thought repetitive process in which computer applies different combinations of password till the exact match.
Brute Force Password Cracking:Term brute force password cracking may also be referred as brute force attack. Brute force password cracking is respective process of guessing password, in this process software or tool creates a large number of password combinations. Basically it’s a trail-and-error technique used by software to obtain password information from system.
A brute force attack are normally used by hackers when there is no chance of taking advantage of encrypted system weakness or by security analysis experts to test an organization’s network security .This method of password cracking is very fast for short length passwords but for long length passwords dictionary attack technique is normally used.
Time taken by brute force password cracking software to crack password is normally depend upon speed of system and internet connection.
GPU Password Cracking:GPU is graphics processing unit, sometimes also called visual processing unit. Before talking about GPU password cracking we must have some understanding about hashes. When user enter password the password information stored in form of computer hashes using the one-way hashing algorithm.
In this password cracking technique using GPU software take a password guess and look through hashing algorithm and compare it or match it with the existing hashes till the exact match.
GPU can perform mathematical functions in parallel as GPU have hundreds of core that gives massive advantage in cracking password. GPU is much faster than CPU so that’s the reason of using GPU instead of CPU.
CUDA Password Cracking:CUDA Compute Unified Device Architecture is a model for programming and a platform that perform computations in parallel, created by NVIDIA for graphic processing.
CUDA Password cracking includes cracking passwords using Graphics card which have GPU chip, GPU can perform mathematical functions in parallel so the speed of cracking password is faster than CPU.GPU have many 32bit chips on it that perform this operation very quickly.
We can easily access CUDA through libraries, directives and with the help of different programming languages that includes C, C++ and FORTRAN.
Password Cracking ToolsGiven below is the list of Top10 Password cracking tools.
1. Cain and Abel : Top password cracking tool for Windows
Cain & Abel is one of the top cracking tool for password cracking and password recovery for Windows OS.
Cain & Abel can use techniques of Dictionary Attack, Brute-Force and Cryptanalysis attacks to crack encrypted passwords. So it only uses the weakness of system to crack password. GUI Interface of software is very simple and easy to use. But have availability limitation, tool only available for window based systems .Cain & Abel tool have many good features some of the features of tool are discussed below:
Features of Cain & Abel:- Used for WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) cracking
- Have ability to record conversation over IP
- Cab be used as Network Password Sniffer
- Ability to resolve addresses IP to MAC.
- Can crack verity of hashes including LM and NT hashes, IOS and PIX hashes, RADIUS hashes, RDP passwords, and lots more than that.
2. John the Ripper : Multi-platform, Powerful, Flexible password cracking tool
John the Ripper is a free multi or cross platform password cracking software. Its called multi platform as it combines different password cracking features into one package.
It’s primarily used to crack weak UNIX passwords but also available for Linux, Mac, and Windows. We can run this software against different password encryptions including many password hashes normally found in different UNIX versions. These hashes are DES, LM hash of Windows NT/2000/XP/2003, MD5, and AFS.
Features of John the Ripper- Supportive with Brute force password cracking and dictionary attacks
- Multi platform
- Available free for use
- Pro version is also available with additional features
3. Aircrack : Fast and effective WEP/WPA cracking tool
Aircrack is a combination different tools used for Wifi, WEP and WPA passwords cracking. With the help of these tools you can crack WEP/WPA passwords easily and effectively
Brute force, FMS attack, and dictionary attacks techniques can be used to crack WEP/WPA passwords. Basically it collects and analyzes encrypted packets then using its different tool crack password out of the packets. Although aircrack is available for Windows but there are different issues with this software if we use this in Windows environment, so it’s best when we use it in Linux environment.
Features of Aircrack- Supportive with both Brute force and dictionary attacks cracking techniques
- Available for Windows and Linux
- Available in live CD
4. THC Hydra : Multiple services supportive, Network authentication cracker
THC Hydra is a supper fast network password cracking tool. It uses network to crack remote systems passwords.
It can be used to crack passwords of different protocols including HTTPS, HTTP, FTP, SMTP, Cisco, CVS, SQL, SMTP etc. It will give you option that you may supply a dictionary file that contains list of possible passwords. It’s best when we use it in Linux environment.
Features of THC Hydra- Fast cracking speed
- Available for Windows, Linux ,Solaris and OS X
- New modules can be added easily to enhance features
- Supportive with Brute force and dictionary attacks
Site for Download:
https://www.thc.org/thc-hydra/5. RainbowCrack : New Innovation in Password Hash Cracker
RainbowCrack software uses rainbow tables to crack hashes, in other words we can say it uses process of a large-scale time-memory trade for effective and fast password cracking.
Large-scale-time-memory-trade-off is a process of computing all hashes and plain text using a selected hash algorithm. After calculations, obtained results are stored in the tables called rainbow table. Process of creating rainbow tables is very time consuming but when its done software works very fast.
Password cracking using rainbow table is faster than the normal brute force attack method. It’s available for Linux and Windows operating system.
Features of Rainbow Crack- Support verity of Rainbow tables
- Runs on Windows (XP/Vista/7/8) and Linux operating systems (x86 and x86_64)
- Simple in use
Site for Download:
6. OphCrack : Tool for Windows password cracking
OphCrack used to crack Windows user passwords with the help of rainbow tables that are available in a bootable CD.
Ophcrack is completely free to download, Windows based password cracker that uses rainbow tables to crack Windows user passwords. It normally cracks LM and NTLM hashes. Software has simple GUI and can runs on different platforms.
Features of OphCrack- Available for Windows but also available for Linux, Mac, Unix, and OS X
- Uses for LM hashes of Windows and NTLM hashes of Windows vista.
- Rainbow tables available free and easily for Windows
- To simplify the process of cracking Live CD is available
Site for Download:
http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/7. Brutus : A brute force attack cracker for remote systems
Brutus is the fastest, most flexible, and most popular software used to crack remote system passwords. It guess password through applying different permutations or by using a dictionary.
It can be used for different network protocols including HTTP, FTP, IMAP, NNTP and other types such as SMB, Telnet etc. It also gives you facility of creating your own authentication type. It also includes extra options of load and resume, so process can be paused when required and you can resume process when you want.
It is only available for windows operation systems. Tool has a limitation that it has not been updated since 2000.
Features of Brutus
- Available for Windows
- Can be used with different network protocols
- Tool have many good extra features
- Support SOCK proxy for all types of authentications
- Capability of error handling and recovery
- Authentication engine is multi stage
Site for Download:
8. L0phtCrack : Smart tool for Windows password recovery
Just like OphCrack tool L0phtCrack is also a Windows passwords recovery tool uses hashes to crack passwords, with extra features of Brute force and dictionary attacks.
It normally gains access to these hashes from directories, network servers, or domain controllers. It is capable of doing hash extraction from 32 & 64 bit Windows systems, multiprocessor algorithms, scheduling, and can also perform decoding and monitoring networks. Yet it is still the easiest to use password auditing and recovery software available.
Features of L0phtCrack
- Available for Windows XP, NT, 2000, Server 2003,and Server 2008
- Can work in both 32- and 64-bit environments
- Extra feature of schedule routine auditing on daily, weekly, monthly bases
- After run it provide complete Audit Summary in report page
Site for Download:
9. Pwdump : Password recovery tool for Windows
Pwdump is actually different Windows programs that are used to provide LM and NTML hashes of system user accounts.
Pwdump password cracker is capable of extracting LM, NTLM and LanMan hashes from the target in Windows, in case if Syskey is disabled, software has the ability to extract in this condition.
Software is update with extra feature of password histories display if history is available. Extracted data will be available in form that is compatible with L0phtcrack.
Recently software is updated to new version called Fgdump as Pwdump not work fine when any antivirus program is running.
Features of Pwdump
- Available for Windows XP, 2000
- Powerful extra feature are available in new version of Pwdump
- Ability to run multithreaded
- It can perform cachedump (Crashed credentials dump) and pstgdump (Protected storage dump)
Site for Download:
10. Medusa : Speedy network password cracking tool
Medusa is remote systems password cracking tool just like THC Hydra but its stability, and fast login ability prefer him over THC Hydra.
It is speedy brute force, parallel and modular tool. Software can perform Brute force attack against multiple users, hosts, and passwords. It supports many protocols including AFP, HTTP, CVS, IMAP, FTP, SSH, SQL, POP3, Telnet and VNC etc.
Medusa is pthread-based tool, this feature prevent unnecessarily duplicate of information. All modules available as an independent .mod file, so no modification is required to extend the list that supports services for brute forcing attack.
Features of Medusa
- Available for Windows, SunOS, BSD, and Mac OS X
- Capable of performing Thread based parallel testing
- Good feature of Flexible user input
- Due to parallel processing speed of cracking is very fast
Site for Download:
Hackers use a variety of means to gain passwords. One of the most common ways for hackers to get access to your passwords is through social engineering, but they don’t stop there. Check out the following tools and vulnerabilities hack exploit to grab your password.
Keystroke logging
One of the best techniques for capturing passwords is remote keystroke logging — the use of software or hardware to record keystrokes as they’re typed.
Be careful with keystroke logging. Even with good intentions, monitoring employees raises various legal issues if it’s not done correctly. Discuss with your legal counsel what you’ll be doing, ask for her guidance, and get approval from upper management.
Logging tools used by hackers
With keystroke-logging tools, you can assess the log files of your application to see what passwords people are using:
- Keystroke-logging applications can be installed on the monitored computer. Check out Spector 360 by SpectorSoft. Dozens of such tools are available on the Internet.
- Hardware-based tools, such as KeyGhost, fit between the keyboard and the computer or replace the keyboard.
- A keystroke-logging tool installed on a shared computer can capture the passwords of every user who logs in.
Countermeasures against logging tools
The best defense against the installation of keystroke-logging software on your systems is to use an antimalware program or a similar endpoint protection software that monitors the local host. It’s not foolproof but can help. As with physical keyloggers, you’ll need to inspect each system visually.
The potential for hackers to install keystroke-logging software is another reason to ensure that your users aren’t downloading and installing random shareware or opening attachments in unsolicited emails. Consider locking down your desktops by setting the appropriate user rights through local or group security policy in Windows.
Alternatively, you could use a commercial lockdown program, such as Fortres 101 for Windows or Deep Freeze Enterprise for Windows, Linux, and macOS X. A different technology that still falls into this category is Carbon Black’s “positive security” allowlisting application, called Cb Protection, which allows you to configure which executables can be run on any given system. It’s intended to fight off advanced malware but could certainly be used in this situation.
Weak password storage
Many legacy and stand-alone applications — such as email, dial-up network connections, and accounting software — store passwords locally, which makes them vulnerable to password hacking. By performing a basic text search, you can find passwords stored in clear text on the local hard drives of machines. You can automate the process even further by using a program called FileLocator Pro.
How hackers search for passwords
You can try using your favorite text-searching utility — such as the Windows search function, findstr, or grep — to search for password or passwd on your computer’s drives. You may be shocked to find what’s on your systems. Some programs even write passwords to disk or leave them stored in memory.
Weak password storage is a criminal hacker’s dream. Head it off if you can. This doesn’t mean that you should immediately run off and start using a cloud-based password manager, however. As we’ve all seen over the years, those systems get hacked as well!
Countermeasures against weak passwords
The only reliable way to eliminate weak password storage is to use only applications that store passwords securely. This practice may not be practical, but it’s your only guarantee that your passwords are secure. Another option is to instruct users not to store their passwords when prompted.
Before upgrading applications, contact your software vendor to see how it manages passwords, or search for a third-party solution.
How hackers use network analyzers to crack passwords
A network analyzer sniffs the packets traversing the network, which is what the bad guys do if they can gain control of a computer, tap into your wireless network, or gain physical network access to set up their network analyzer. If they gain physical access, they can look for a network jack on the wall and plug right in.
Finding password vulnerabilities with network analyzers
The image below shows how crystal-clear passwords can be through the eyes of a network analyzer. This shows how Cain & Abel can glean thousands of passwords going across the network in a matter of a couple of hours. As you can see in the left pane, these clear text password vulnerabilities can apply to FTP, web, Telnet, and more. (The actual usernames and passwords are blurred to protect them.)
If traffic isn’t tunneled through some form of encrypted link (such as a virtual private network, Secure Shell, or Secure Sockets Layer), it’s vulnerable to attack.
Cain & Abel is a password-cracking tool that also has network analysis capabilities. You can also use a regular network analyzer, such as the commercial products Omnipeek and CommView, as well as the free open-source program Wireshark. With a network analyzer, you can search for password traffic in various ways. To capture POP3 password traffic, for example, you can set up a filter and a trigger to search for the PASS command. When the network analyzer sees the PASS command in the packet, it captures that specific data.
Network analyzers require you to capture data on a hub segment of your network or via a monitor/mirror/span port on a switch. Otherwise, you can’t see anyone else’s data traversing the network — just yours. Check your switch’s user guide to see whether it has a monitor or mirror port and for instructions on how to configure it. You can connect your network analyzer to a hub on the public side of your firewall. You’ll capture only those packets that are entering or leaving your network — not internal traffic.
Countermeasures against network analyzers
Here are some good defenses against network analyzer attacks:
- Use switches on your network, not hubs. Ethernet hubs are things of the past, but they are still used occasionally. If you must use hubs on network segments, a program like sniffdet for Unix/Linux-based systems and PromiscDetect for Windows can detect network cards in promiscuous mode (accepting all packets, whether they’re destined for the local machine or not). A network card in promiscuous mode signifies that a network analyzer may be running on the network.
- Make sure that unsupervised areas, such as an unoccupied lobby or training room, don’t have live network connections. An Ethernet port is all someone needs to gain access to your internal network.
- Don’t let anyone without a business need gain physical access to your switches or to the network connection on the public side of your firewall. With physical access, a hacker can connect to a switch monitor port or tap into the unswitched network segment outside the firewall and then capture packets.
Switches don’t provide complete security because they’re vulnerable to ARP poisoning attacks.
How hackers break weak BIOS passwords
Most computer BIOS (basic input/output system) settings allow power-on passwords and/or setup passwords to protect the computer’s hardware settings that are stored in the CMOS chip. Here are some ways around these passwords:
- You usually can reset these passwords by unplugging the CMOS battery or by changing a jumper on the motherboard.
- Password-cracking utilities for BIOS passwords are available on the Internet and from computer manufacturers.
If gaining access to the hard drive is your ultimate goal, you can remove the hard drive from the computer and install it in another one, and you’re good to go. This technique is a great way to prove that BIOS/power-on passwords are not effective countermeasures for lost or stolen laptops.
Check cirt.net for a good list of default system passwords for various vendor equipment.
Tons of variables exist for hacking and hacking countermeasures depending on your hardware setup. If you plan to hack your own BIOS passwords, check for information in your user manual, or refer to the BIOS password-hacking guide. If protecting the information on your hard drives is your ultimate goal, full (sometimes referred to as whole) disk is the best way to go. The good news is that newer computers (within the past five years or so) use a new type of BIOS called unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), which is much more resilient to boot-level system cracking attempts. Still, a weak password may be all it takes for the system to be exploited.
Weak passwords in limbo
Bad guys often exploit user accounts that have just been created or reset by a network administrator or help desk. New accounts may need to be created for new employees or even for security testing purposes. Accounts may need to be reset if users forget their passwords or if the accounts have been locked out because of failed attempts.
Password weaknesses in user account
Here are some reasons why user accounts can be vulnerable:
- When user accounts are reset, they’re often assigned an easily cracked or widely-known password (such as the user’s name or the word password). The time between resetting the user account and changing the password is a prime opportunity for a break-in.
- Many systems have default accounts or unused accounts with weak passwords or no passwords at all. These accounts are prime targets.
Countermeasures against passwords in limbo
The best defenses against attacks on passwords in limbo are solid help-desk policies and procedures that prevent weak passwords from being available at any given time during the new-account-generation and password-reset processes. Following are perhaps the best ways to overcome this vulnerability:
Require users to be on the phone with the help desk or to have a help-desk member perform the reset at the user’s desk.
Require that the user immediately log in and change the password.
Net Password Hacking Software App
If you need the ultimate in security, implement stronger authentication methods, such as challenge/response questions, smart cards, or digital certificates.
Net Password Hacking Software Windows 10
Automate password reset functionality via self-service tools on your network so that users can manage most of their password problems without help from others.