Rainbow Tables: How to Create & Use Them to Crack Passwords « Null Byte :: WonderHowTo

More password cracking action fromNull Byte! Today we aren't going to be cracking passwords per se, rather, we are going to learn the basics of generatingrainbow tablesand how to use them. First, let's go over how passwords are stored and recovered.Passwords are normally stored inone-way hashes. When a password is created, the user types the password in what is called "plain text", since it is in a plain, unhashed form. However, after a password is made, the computer stores a one-way hash of the password that obfuscates it. Hashes are made to be one-way, which means algorithmic reversal is impossible. This means we have to crack those hashes!Normally, when you crack a password hash, your computer computes a word, generates the hash, then compares to see if there is a match. If there is, the password is correct; if not, it will keep guessing. Rainbow tables work on the principle of a time-memory trade-off. This means that hashes are pre-generated by a computer and stored in a largerainbow tablefile with all of the hashes and words that correspond to them. This method works especially well for people with slow processors, since you don't have to compute much. Rainbow cracking can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to crack a password hash, plus you can keep the tables, so you only have to generate them once!RequirementsWindows, Mac OSX, or Linux OSAdmin, or root accessStep1Download & Install RainbowCrackText inboldmeans it is a terminal command (NT, OSX, or *nix). However, for this step, all commands in bold are for Linux only. The other operating systems use a GUI.RainbowCrack is the tool that we are going to be using to generate and use rainbow tables.DownloadRainbowCrack.Extract the archive (Windows and Mac users extract via GUI).tar zxvf <rainbowcrack>Change to the new directory that has been made from extracting RainbowCrack.cd <new dir>Configure the installation../configureNow, compile the source code for installation.make && sudo make installStep2Generate a Rainbow Table and Crack with ItNow, lets generate a table that consists of all the alpha-lowercase and numeral characters. We want these to use the MD5 hash algorithm and be between 4-6 characters. All OS users must open a terminal, or a command prompt and be located in the RainbowCrack working directory.In your working directory, issue the following command to start table generation.rtgen md5 loweralpha-numeric 1 7 0 3800 33554432 0Sort the tables so the processor can access them quicker. The table files will be in the current directory. Run the following command on each of the files in the directory ending in*.rt.rtsort <*.rt file>This will take about 6 hours to generate on a single core processor. After you generate the table, let's practice using it on a word.Let's hash the word "burger" with the MD5 algorithm and then use our tables to crack it. Notice thebis in lowercase. Here is our result:6e69685d22c94ffd42ccd7e70e246bd9Crack the hash with the following command, along with the path to your file.rcrack <path-to-rainbow-table.rt> -h6e69685d22c94ffd42ccd7e70e246bd9It will return your hash. You'll see it is a lot faster than if you were try to bruteforce the six character hash.If you have any questions or want to talk, stop by ourIRCchannel or start topics in theforums.Want to start making money as a white hat hacker?Jump-start your hacking career with our2020 Premium Ethical Hacking Certification Training Bundlefrom the newNull Byte Shopand get over 60 hours of training from cybersecurity professionals.Buy Now (90% off) >Other worthwhile deals to check out:97% off The Ultimate 2021 White Hat Hacker Certification Bundle99% off The 2021 All-in-One Data Scientist Mega Bundle98% off The 2021 Premium Learn To Code Certification Bundle62% off MindMaster Mind Mapping Software: Perpetual LicensePhoto byJD HancockRelatedHow To:Recover Passwords for Windows PCs Using OphcrackHack Like a Pro:How to Crack Passwords, Part 1 (Principles & Technologies)How To:Create Rainbow Tables for Hashing Algorithms Like MD5, SHA1 & NTLMHow To:Hack MD5 passwords with Cain and AbelHack Like a Pro:How to Crack Passwords, Part 4 (Creating a Custom Wordlist with Crunch)How to Hack Wi-Fi:Cracking WPA2-PSK Passwords with CowpattyHack Like a Pro:How to Crack Passwords, Part 2 (Cracking Strategy)News:'Beast' Cracks Billions of Passwords in SecondsAdvice from a Real Hacker:How to Create Stronger PasswordsHack Like a Pro:How to Crack User Passwords in a Linux SystemHow To:Creating Unique and Safe Passwords, Part 1 Using WordlistsNews:8 Tips for Creating Strong, Unbreakable PasswordsHow To:Recover a Windows Password with OphcrackHow To:How Hackers Steal Your Internet & How to Defend Against ItHow To:Sneak into Your Roommate's Computer by Bypassing the Windows Login ScreenNews:FarmVille German Limited Edition ThemeNews:Advanced Cracking Techniques, Part 1: Custom DictionariesHow To:GPU Accelerate Cracking Passwords with HashcatHow To:How Hackers Take Your Encrypted Passwords & Crack ThemNews:Advanced Cracking Techniques, Part 2: Intelligent BruteforcingNews:Rainbow ChickensHow To:Recover WinRAR and Zip PasswordsMastering Security, Part 1:How to Manage and Create Strong PasswordsNews:Rainbows End; A Sci-Fi Book That Has a Lot of Agumented RealityNews:Rainbow CityNews:Rainbow Cake With Marshmallow CloudsRECIPE:Mario Mushroom Cake Filled With RainbowsHow To:The Essential Newbie's Guide to SQL Injections and Manipulating Data in a MySQL DatabaseRECIPE:Rainbow M&M Cake With Fluffy White CloudsHow To:Hack Mac OS X Lion PasswordsGoodnight Byte:Coding a Web-Based Password Cracker in PythonNews:Poo Swing