Password Cracking

Using techniques like brute force to guess or recover a password from hashes.

Understanding Password Cracking

Password cracking is the process of recovering passwords from stored data or network transmissions by using various techniques. It is commonly used in cybersecurity for penetration testing and forensic investigations, but it is also exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to systems.

The strength of a password depends on its complexity, length, and encryption method, and attackers use different cracking techniques to break weak passwords.

Common Password Cracking Techniques

Brute Force Attack

Tries every possible combination of characters until the correct password is found.
Time-consuming but guarantees success if enough resources are available.
Can be mitigated by using long and complex passwords.

Dictionary Attack

Uses a predefined list of commonly used passwords and words from dictionaries.
Faster than brute force but fails against complex and unique passwords.
Example: Attempting passwords like "password123", "admin", "qwerty", or "letmein".

Hybrid Attack

Combines dictionary and brute force techniques by adding variations to common words.
Example: Testing "Password1", "Admin2024", or "Qwerty!@#" instead of just "password".

Credential Stuffing

Uses leaked username-password pairs from previous data breaches.
Automated tools attempt to reuse stolen credentials on different websites.
Defended against by enforcing unique passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Rainbow Table Attack

Uses precomputed hash values to crack hashed passwords quickly.
Works against unsalted password hashes, but modern encryption techniques like bcrypt and PBKDF2 mitigate this.

Keylogger Attack

Malware that records keystrokes and captures passwords in real time.
Often used in phishing campaigns or Trojan-infected systems.
Prevented by using endpoint security solutions and avoiding suspicious downloads.

Phishing & Social Engineering

Tricking users into revealing their passwords through fake login pages, emails, or phone calls.
Attackers often pose as trusted entities to steal login credentials.
Prevented by user awareness training and two-factor authentication (2FA).

Conclusion

Password cracking is a critical cybersecurity threat, but strong password policies, MFA, and encryption techniques can effectively mitigate attacks. Organizations and individuals must stay vigilant, regularly update their security practices, and ensure that credentials remain protected from unauthorized access.