L0phtCrack Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cracking Windows Passwords
L0phtCrack is a password auditing and cracking tool that was first released in 1997. It is still in use today, and has been updated several times over the years. L0phtCrack can be used to test password strength, recover lost Windows passwords, and audit Active Directory passwords.
Interpretation:
L0phtCrack is a password auditing and recovery application originally produced by Mudge from L0pht Heavy Industries. It is used to test password strength and sometimes to recover lost Microsoft Windows passwords, by using dictionary, brute-force, hybrid attacks, and rainbow tables.
Design:
The L0phtCrack interface is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. The main window is divided into three sections: the top section displays the password cracking options, the middle section displays the progress of the cracking process, and the bottom section displays the results of the cracking process.
Features:
L0phtCrack supports a variety of password cracking options, including:
- Dictionary attacks: This attack uses a dictionary of common passwords to try to crack the target password.
- Brute-force attacks: This attack tries every possible combination of characters until the target password is found.
- Hybrid attacks: This attack combines dictionary attacks and brute-force attacks to improve the cracking speed.
- Rainbow tables: This attack uses pre-computed tables of passwords and their hashes to crack the target password.
L0phtCrack is Now Open Source :
L0phtCrack 7.2.0 has been released as an open source project .
Repositories are located here: https://gitlab.com/l0phtcrack
Releases are available here: https://gitlab.com/l0phtcrack/l0phtcrack/-/releases
Latest open-source Win64 download is here: → https://l0phtcrack.gitlab.io/releases/7.2.0/lc7setup_v7.2.0_Win64.exe ←
Once we have setup downloaded, from an elevated position let’s open the setup executable.
Click FINISH .
Cracking NTLM hashes :
On our first run we have the wizard appear.
Select Password Auditing Wizard & Let’s launch the wizard .
Select Next .
Now we can choose the target OS type:
Windows
or
UNIX-Like
We are going to audit a Windows machine.
We can crack passwords via a few means,Using the local system, a remote system, or a dump file.
We will be conducting a security audit of the local system.
For this demonstration, we will use the Quick Password Audit feature.
Select Next.
The sessions are about to begin.
As shown in the image, the user password has been cracked. Once the hash cracking process begins, you will learn that one attempt is often not enough. You will need to try a variety of wordlist generation and mangling/character substitution methods.
Attention:
Here are some things to consider before proceeding:
- You will need administrative privileges on the target systems.
- You will need GPUs if you want to perform this operation in real time.
- You may need to make sure that antivirus exclusions are in place.
- You should consider the sensitive nature of this operation and take appropriate measures to protect the data in transit and at rest.
- You will want to make sure that good controls are used to protect the outputs.
Password Decoding Tips :
- Define your objectives: What are you trying to achieve by cracking the passwords? Are you trying to gain access to a specific account or system? Or are you trying to gather intelligence about the target organization? Once you know your objectives, you can tailor your cracking techniques accordingly.
- Use a variety of techniques: There are many different techniques for cracking passwords, such as dictionary attacks, brute-force attacks, and rainbow tables. Each technique has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it is important to use a combination of techniques to be successful.
- Be creative: Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when cracking passwords. There are many ways to mangle words or generate custom wordlists. The more creative you are, the more likely you are to crack the password.
Sources :
https://gitlab.com/l0phtcrack/l0phtcrack.gitlab.io/-/tree/main/public/releases/7.2.0
https://twitter.com/L0phtCrackLLC
Disclaimer:
L0phtCrack is a password auditing and cracking tool that was first released in 1997. It is still in use today, and has been updated several times over the years. L0phtCrack can be used to test password strength, recover lost Windows passwords, and audit Active Directory passwords.
