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Three Password Cracking Techniques and How to Defend Against Them [2025]
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Three Password Cracking Techniques and How to Defend Against Them [2025]
The significance of a strong password is only made evident when confronted with the consequences of a weak one; passwords are rarely appreciated until a security breach happens. The majority of end users, however, are not aware of how susceptible their passwords are to the most popular techniques for password cracking.
The three most popular methods for password cracking and countermeasures are listed below:
Brute Force Attack
Brute force attacks are simple yet very powerful methods for password cracking. In these attacks, malevolent actors repeatedly attempt to log in using automated methods, systematically trying every possible password combination. Although these tools have been around for a while, they are now even more effective, especially when weak passwords are used, due to the development of reasonably priced computer power and storage.
How it works?
Malicious actors use a variety of strategies when it comes to brute force assaults, ranging from straightforward attacks that try every password combination to more sophisticated strategies like hybrid and reverse brute force attacks. Although each technique follows a different plan, brute force assaults all aim to obtain unauthorized access to resources or data that are secured.
Several well-liked automated tools for executing brute force attacks are as follows:
| John the Ripper | A multiplatform password cracker that supports hundreds of hashes and encryption types across 15 different operating systems. |
| L0phtCrack | A program that cracks Windows passwords using multiprocessor methods, rainbow tables, and dictionaries. |
| Hashcat | A cracking/password recovery tool that works with more than 300 highly optimized hashing algorithms and supports five different attack methods. |
Examples
T-Mobile, a U.S. mobile operator, experienced a data breach in August 2021 that began with a brute force attack. More than 37 million customer records containing sensitive information, including driver’s license details, social security numbers, and other personally identifying information, were made public as a result of the security breach.
Defense Measures
To defend against brute force attacks, users should use multi-factor authentication (MFA) and create strong, complicated passwords. Administrators should put account lockout procedures into place and regularly check their Windows environments for compromised or weak passwords. These procedures can be automated in large IT settings with the help of tools like Specops Password Auditor.
Dictionary Attack
Using a list of popular passwords or dictionary phrases, cybercriminals attempt to obtain access in a password dictionary assault. The most frequently used words, phrases, and basic word combinations (such as “admin123”) are usually included in this preconfigured word list. Because password dictionary assaults are particularly effective against weak or easily guessable passwords, they highlight the significance of using complex, one-of-a-kind passwords.
How it works?
The first step in the procedure is gathering a list of possible passwords from publicly accessible sources, common password lists, or data breaches. Malicious actors carry out a dictionary attack by methodically comparing every password to a target account or system using an automated tool. The hacker can obtain access and execute more assaults or moves if a match is discovered.
Examples
Malicious actors broke hashed passwords using password dictionaries in a number of well-known security events, including the 2012 LinkedIn data leak and the 2013 Yahoo data breach. They were able to steal billions of consumers’ account information as a result.
Defense Measures
Users should avoid using popular words or phrases that are easy to figure out when creating or changing passwords. Instead, they should use a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters. Administrators can enforce password complexity standards throughout the organization by including them in its policies.
Rainbow Table Attacks
A rainbow table attack cracks password hashes in a database by using a unique table, often known as a “Rainbow Table,” composed of precomputed texts or frequently used passwords and matching hashes.
How it works?
Rainbow table attacks effectively crack hashed passwords by taking advantage of a series of hashing and reduction procedures. Before being processed using a reduction function that converts them to new values, potential passwords are hashed and saved in the rainbow table with their plaintext equivalents. This creates a chain of hashes. This procedure is carried out several times to create the rainbow table. Hackers can reverse-lookup each hash value in the rainbow table after obtaining a hash list; if a match is found, the matching plaintext password is revealed.
Examples
Many hashes are still unsalted, even though salting—the process of adding random characters to passwords before hashing—has made rainbow table assaults less effective. Additionally, the storage constraints that were previously connected to rainbow tables have been removed thanks to advancements in GPUs and reasonably priced technology. These attacks are, therefore, still a plausible strategy in high-profile cyberattacks, both present and future.
Defense Measures
As previously stated, salted hashes have considerably decreased the efficacy of precomputed tables; as a result, businesses must incorporate robust hashing algorithms (such as bcrypt and scrypt) into their password procedures. To lessen the possibility of rainbow table dictionary matches or hits, administrators should also change and rotate passwords on a regular basis.
Wrapping Up
In a nutshell, passwords aren’t perfect, but lengthy enough and complicated enough passphrases are still an essential first line of defense against sophisticated password-cracking methods. By regularly checking Active Directory against a database of more than 4 billion compromised passwords, tools such as Specops Policy offer an additional degree of security. For a free demo, get in touch with us now.
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