Password Attacks in Kali Linux – Tools and Security Testing Overview
What Are Password Attacks?
Password attacks are techniques used to test the strength of authentication mechanisms by attempting to guess, crack, or brute-force login credentials.
In cybersecurity and penetration testing, password attack tools are used to:
Test password complexity
Identify weak credentials
Audit authentication systems
Strengthen security policies
In Kali Linux, these tools are available under:
Applications → Password Attacks
Types of Password Attacks
1️⃣ Brute Force Attack – Trying every possible password combination
2️⃣ Dictionary Attack – Using a predefined wordlist
3️⃣ Hybrid Attack – Combination of dictionary + modifications
4️⃣ Credential Stuffing – Using leaked credentials
5️⃣ Hash Cracking – Cracking stored password hashes
Important Password Attack Tools in Kali Linux
1️⃣ CeWL
About
CeWL is a custom wordlist generator.
It crawls a website and collects words to create a targeted password list.
Use Case:
Create wordlist from company website
Targeted password guessing
Social engineering preparation
Example:
cewl http://example.com -w wordlist.txt
This generates a custom wordlist.
2️⃣ Crunch
About
Crunch generates custom wordlists based on pattern, length, and character set.
Example:
crunch 6 8 -o passwords.txt
This creates passwords between 6–8 characters.
Useful for:
Controlled brute-force attacks
Pattern-based testing
3️⃣ Hashcat
About
Hashcat is one of the most powerful password cracking tools.
It uses CPU/GPU acceleration to crack password hashes.
Capabilities:
Crack MD5, SHA1, SHA256
GPU-based cracking
Dictionary attacks
Rule-based attacks
Example:
hashcat -m 0 hash.txt wordlist.txt
Where:
-m 0= MD5 hash type
Hashcat is widely used in professional security audits.
4️⃣ John the Ripper
About
John the Ripper is one of the most famous password cracking tools.
It is used to crack:
Linux password hashes
Windows SAM hashes
Database password hashes
Example:
john hashfile.txt
Using a wordlist:
john --wordlist=rockyou.txt hashfile.txt
John automatically detects hash type in many cases.
5️⃣ Johnny
About
Johnny is the graphical interface for John the Ripper.
It provides:
Easy hash loading
Wordlist selection
Visual cracking status
Useful for beginners.
6️⃣ Medusa
About
Medusa is a fast, parallel, online login brute-force tool.
It supports multiple protocols:
SSH
FTP
HTTP
SMB
Telnet
Example:
medusa -h 192.168.56.102 -u admin -P passwords.txt -M ssh
It attempts login via SSH using wordlist.
Medusa is commonly used in penetration testing to audit weak credentials.
7️⃣ Ncrack
About
Ncrack is developed by the Nmap team.
It focuses on network authentication cracking.
Supported Services:
SSH
RDP
FTP
Telnet
HTTP
Example:
ncrack -p 22 --user admin -P passwords.txt 192.168.56.102
Password Attack Workflow (Ethical Testing)
Identify service (SSH, FTP, HTTP login)
Check for rate limiting
Prepare wordlist (CeWL / Crunch)
Perform controlled testing
Analyze results
Recommend strong password policy
Real-World Security Testing Scenario
Suppose a company runs:
SSH server
Web admin panel
Database server
Password testing verifies:
Are default credentials active?
Are passwords too short?
Is rate limiting enabled?
Is account lockout configured?
Weak passwords can lead to:
Unauthorized access
Data theft
Full server compromise
Comparison of Major Tools
| Tool | Type | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| CeWL | Wordlist Generator | Targeted dictionary |
| Crunch | Wordlist Generator | Pattern-based passwords |
| Hashcat | Hash Cracker | GPU-accelerated cracking |
| John the Ripper | Hash Cracker | Multi-platform hash cracking |
| Johnny | GUI | John interface |
| Medusa | Online Brute Force | Multi-protocol login testing |
| Ncrack | Network Login Cracker | Service authentication |
Important Security Controls Against Password Attacks
To protect systems:
Use strong passwords (12+ characters)
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Implement account lockout policy
Use CAPTCHA on login pages
Enable rate limiting
Monitor login attempts
Legal & Ethical Warning
Password attack tools must only be used:
In your own lab
On systems you own
With written authorization
Unauthorized password attacks are illegal and punishable under cyber laws.
No comments:
Post a Comment