Exploit: Password Cracking

An Overview on Password Cracking

Password cracking is a term used to describe the penetration of a network, system, or resource with or without the use of tools to unlock a resource that has been secured with a password

Introduction

System vulnerabilities with passwords Strong passwords Vs Weak

Examples of vulnerabilities Applications

FTP, HTTP, Telnet Password Cracking Tools

Tools in Common Brutus Password Cracker

Experiment on Password Cracking Platform : Windows. Setting up of machines with

services Target Machine (Server) Client

Setting up of Machines

DHCP/Switch

Client FTP-Serv-U Brutus Ethereal. 192.168.1.3 (Word List) 192.168.1.2 (Word List) 192.168.0.172 (BruteForce) 192.168.0.125(BruteForce)

About Brutus Password Cracker: Supported Applications

Telnet, FTP, HTTP Methods used to engage with

Remote machine Word List Combo BruteForce

A Quick Look On Brutus Password Cracker

Engaging Remote Machine Using “Word List”The Method:

- Creates many number of combinations of Possible System passwords from two separate files“users” and “word”.

- Engages remote machine

enter word after word, at high speed, until a match is found.

Engaging Remote Machine using “Word List”

Sample Entries for File “users”statlerwaldorfadminadministrator

Sample Entries for File “word”aaaabc123academiaacademic

Engaging Remote FTP Server Using “Word List”

“Word List”: A Failed attempt

Sample Trace for the Method - “Word List”

Engaging Remote Server using “Combo” The Method:

- Similar to “Word List”- Uses “combo” file to generate

combinations passwords for each users of the remote system.

- Uncertain; Needs more guessing

Sample “combo” file Entries admin:admin1 admin:admin12 admin:admin123

Engaging Remote Server using “BruteForce”The Method:

- Guaranteed to some extent- Relies purely on power and repetition - Need very high processing speed- Produces many number of passwords for a particular user using permutations and combinations- May take months years to crack the password

Examples of Generated passwords: aaa, aab, aac... aaA, aaB, aaC...

aa0, aa1, aa2, aa3... aba, aca, ada..

Each of the combinations of characters and symbols is fed through the appropriate cryptographic algorithm and compared to the stored password until a match is found.

Engaging Remote Machine Using “BruteForce”

A sample display on initial settings just before engaging.

Engaging Remote Machine Using “BruteForce”

A sample display on initial settings just before engaging.

Engaging Remote Machine Using “BruteForce”Sample display on cracked password

Questions? Comments?