The problem
We have to face the following situation: we want to migrate our customers from one system (legacy) to another. Customer data (emails,, address, login) are the easy part. What about passwords; wouldn't be nice that the users login into the new system with their actual passwords?
Technological we weren't lucky:
so we can't just copy also the hashed password
Remark: by no means assertions in this blog should be considered the final truth: while facts and samples were tested I might missed some options that might further enhance your experience.
The solution
As I hope you understand this is just used for documenting some cracking password tools not a recommendation for a best practice: imagine what customers would thing about your ethics if realizing what you have done...
So, coming back to the topic: try some cracking tools, do a reverse engineering of passwords and then compute the target SHA-256 hash.
Problem solved! Well, not exactly. Having a technical solution is not always equivalent with having the problem actually solved, as we will discover soon.
Tools investigated:
John
Basic usage is straight forward:
- Export hashed password in accepted text format:
<username>:<crypt(3)> per line; something like florin:$1$florin$1Y2H3TC.KoSWWN7v9hUZ0.
- run john:
john passwords.txt
Several variations
Single mode
Run just rules from the configuration file section [List.Rules:Single] (see john.ini)
john --single passwords.txt
Incremental
Based on the Incremental:XXX section definition john will try (brute force) all combinations. See below a customized MyAlpha section:
[Incremental:MyAlpha]
File = $JOHN/alpha.chr
MinLen = 1
MaxLen = 6
CharCount = 26
rem john -i=MyAlpha ../Passwords.txt
Remarks
The good news
Not so good for customers actually: the single mode will be able to quick (in a matter of seconds for the 1000 samples I used) solve 10% of the users by using common patterns applied to their user names. This might not be valid for other samples
The bad news
john is single threaded, so I had to split the passwords.txt into four files and run it in parallel. After several days just some additional tens of passwords were discovered, (1, 2 or 3 letters/digits) so I cad say good by to the rest
Hashcat
It comes into two flavours:
If you are lucky enough to have one of the two supported GPU' (AMD or Nvidia) go for the second (several magnitude times faster in my samples!).
The usage looked more complicated than for john (might worth to explore dipper); what I used sort of extensively was the mask attack (https://hashcat.net/wiki/doku.php?id=mask_attack).
Password text file should contain (per line) just the ctrypto(3) part, no user names
Samples (should be the same for CPU based hashcat (hashcat-cli64.exe)):
cudaHashcat64.exe --hash-type=500 -a 3 CryptHashes.txt ?l?l?l?l?l
cudaHashcat64.exe --hash-type=500 -a 3 CryptHashes.txt ?l?l?l?d
cudaHashcat64.exe --hash-type=500 -a 3 CryptHashes.txt ?l?l?l?l?d
cudaHashcat64.exe --hash-type=500 -a 3 CryptHashes.txt ?l?l?l?l?l?d
cudaHashcat64.exe --hash-type=500 -a 3 CryptHashes.txt ?l?l?l?l?l?l?d
cudaHashcat64.exe --increment --increment-min=4 --hash-type=500 -a 3 CryptHashes.txt -1 ?l?d ?1?1?1?1?1?1
You can use up to 4 custom char set definitions, something like:
cudaHashcat64.exe --hash-type=500 -a 3 CryptHashes.txt -1 ?u -2 ?l -3 ?d ?1?2?2?2?3?3
This will mean try all combinations that start with an upper letter, contains 3 lower case letters and ends up into two figures.
Best guess: there is a tool that based on mask can generate word files on which you could run hashcat by applying rules. Just putting (once again, as best guess) together what I remember from reading chaotically the documentation.
The Good News
If passwords are short enough (5~6 in length) and you will be able to guess the right mask the GPU based version will might do the job (like 20 hours for ?l?l?l?l?l mask). CPU load will be minimal.
The Bad News
If the users were clever enough to use longer passwords, combination of Upper/lower/digits/special character spread all over the string you are stuck in months/years of waiting
Common Remarks
Found passwords are stored in john.pot, respectively *hashcat.pot
Both tools are re-start-able:
- cold restart: just restart the process and found passwords are skipped (but the process is started from the beginning on a smaller list of hashes)
- warm restart, based on a saved session which will actually restart were from it was interrupted:
- tested tor cudaHashcat: provide a session name at first run and use that session name for restore
cudaHashcat64.exe --hash-type=500 -a 3 --session=Session CryptHashes10.txt -1 abcdefghijlmnoprstuv ?1?1?1?1?1?1
...
cudaHashcat64.exe --session=Session --restore
Be aware: Do not quit immediately after restarting in restore mode; wait till the current restore point changes from zero to something near the actual progress value otherwise you will loose all work done so far. This is normal behaviour as stated on some answers on forum
IyBUaGUgcHJvYmxlbQ0KDQpXZSBoYXZlIHRvIGZhY2UgdGhlIGZvbGxvd2luZyBzaXR1YXRpb246IHdlIHdhbnQgdG8gbWlncmF0ZSBvdXIgY3VzdG9tZXJzIGZyb20gb25lIHN5c3RlbSAobGVnYWN5KSB0byBhbm90aGVyLiBDdXN0b21lciBkYXRhIChlbWFpbHMsLCBhZGRyZXNzLCBsb2dpbikgYXJlIHRoZSBlYXN5IHBhcnQuIFdoYXQgYWJvdXQgcGFzc3dvcmRzOyB3b3VsZG4ndCBiZSBuaWNlIHRoYXQgdGhlIHVzZXJzIGxvZ2luIGludG8gdGhlIG5ldyBzeXN0ZW0gd2l0aCB0aGVpciBhY3R1YWwgcGFzc3dvcmRzPw0KDQpUZWNobm9sb2dpY2FsIHdlIHdlcmVuJ3QgbHVja3k6DQotIHRoZSBvbGQgc3lzdGVtIHN0b3JlcyBwYXNzd29yZHMgYXMgY3J5cHQoMykgb3ZlciBNRDUgKGFsZ29yaXRobSBJRCAxKTsgc2VlIFtodHRwczovL3F1aWNraGFzaC5jb20vY3J5cHQzLW1kNS1vbmxpbmVdKGh0dHBzOi8vcXVpY2toYXNoLmNvbS9jcnlwdDMtbWQ1LW9ubGluZSkgaWYgeW91IHdhbnQgZ2VuZXJhdGUgc29tZSB0ZXN0IGRhdGEuDQotIHRoZSBuZXcgc3lzdGVtIGFjY2VwdHMgU0hBLTI1Ng0KDQpzbyB3ZSBjYW4ndCBqdXN0IGNvcHkgYWxzbyB0aGUgaGFzaGVkIHBhc3N3b3JkDQoNCioqUmVtYXJrKio6IGJ5IG5vIG1lYW5zIGFzc2VydGlvbnMgaW4gdGhpcyBibG9nIHNob3VsZCBiZSBjb25zaWRlcmVkIHRoZSBmaW5hbCB0cnV0aDogd2hpbGUgZmFjdHMgYW5kIHNhbXBsZXMgd2VyZSB0ZXN0ZWQgSSBtaWdodCBtaXNzZWQgc29tZSBvcHRpb25zIHRoYXQgbWlnaHQgZnVydGhlciBlbmhhbmNlIHlvdXIgZXhwZXJpZW5jZS4NCg0KIyBUaGUgc29sdXRpb24NCg0KKkFzIEkgaG9wZSB5b3UgdW5kZXJzdGFuZCB0aGlzIGlzIGp1c3QgdXNlZCBmb3IgZG9jdW1lbnRpbmcgc29tZSBjcmFja2luZyBwYXNzd29yZCB0b29scyBub3QgYSByZWNvbW1lbmRhdGlvbiBmb3IgYSBiZXN0IHByYWN0aWNlOiBpbWFnaW5lIHdoYXQgY3VzdG9tZXJzIHdvdWxkIHRoaW5nIGFib3V0IHlvdXIgZXRoaWNzIGlmIHJlYWxpemluZyB3aGF0IHlvdSBoYXZlIGRvbmUuLi4qDQoNClNvLCBjb21pbmcgYmFjayB0byB0aGUgdG9waWM6IHRyeSBzb21lIGNyYWNraW5nIHRvb2xzLCBkbyBhIHJldmVyc2UgZW5naW5lZXJpbmcgb2YgcGFzc3dvcmRzIGFuZCB0aGVuIGNvbXB1dGUgdGhlIHRhcmdldCBTSEEtMjU2IGhhc2guDQoNClByb2JsZW0gc29sdmVkISBXZWxsLCBub3QgZXhhY3RseS4gSGF2aW5nIGEgdGVjaG5pY2FsIHNvbHV0aW9uIGlzIG5vdCBhbHdheXMgZXF1aXZhbGVudCB3aXRoIGhhdmluZyB0aGUgcHJvYmxlbSBhY3R1YWxseSBzb2x2ZWQsIGFzIHdlIHdpbGwgZGlzY292ZXIgc29vbi4NCg0KVG9vbHMgaW52ZXN0aWdhdGVkOg0KLSBqb2huIHRoZSByaXBwZXIgKFtodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm9wZW53YWxsLmNvbS9qb2huL10oaHR0cDovL3d3dy5vcGVud2FsbC5jb20vam9obi8pKQ0KLSBoYXNoY2F0IChbaHR0cHM6Ly9oYXNoY2F0Lm5ldC93aWtpL10oaHR0cHM6Ly9oYXNoY2F0Lm5ldC93aWtpLykpDQoNCiMjIEpvaG4NCg0KQmFzaWMgdXNhZ2UgaXMgc3RyYWlnaHQgZm9yd2FyZDoNCi0gRXhwb3J0IGhhc2hlZCBwYXNzd29yZCBpbiBhY2NlcHRlZCB0ZXh0IGZvcm1hdDogYDx1c2VybmFtZT46PGNyeXB0KDMpPmAgcGVyIGxpbmU7IHNvbWV0aGluZyBsaWtlIGBmbG9yaW46JDEkZmxvcmluJDFZMkgzVEMuS29TV1dON3Y5aFVaMC5gDQotIHJ1biBqb2huOiBgam9obiBwYXNzd29yZHMudHh0YA0KDQojIyMgU2V2ZXJhbCB2YXJpYXRpb25zDQoNCiMjIyMgU2luZ2xlIG1vZGUNCg0KUnVuIGp1c3QgcnVsZXMgZnJvbSB0aGUgY29uZmlndXJhdGlvbiBmaWxlIHNlY3Rpb24gW0xpc3QuUnVsZXM6U2luZ2xlXSAoc2VlIGpvaG4uaW5pKQ0KDQpgam9obiAtLXNpbmdsZSBwYXNzd29yZHMudHh0YA0KDQojIyMjIEluY3JlbWVudGFsDQoNCkJhc2VkIG9uIHRoZSBgSW5jcmVtZW50YWw6WFhYYCBzZWN0aW9uIGRlZmluaXRpb24gam9obiB3aWxsIHRyeSAoYnJ1dGUgZm9yY2UpIGFsbCBjb21iaW5hdGlvbnMuIFNlZSBiZWxvdyBhIGN1c3RvbWl6ZWQgTXlBbHBoYSBzZWN0aW9uOg0KDQpgYGANCltJbmNyZW1lbnRhbDpNeUFscGhhXQ0KRmlsZSA9ICRKT0hOL2FscGhhLmNocg0KTWluTGVuID0gMQ0KTWF4TGVuID0gNg0KQ2hhckNvdW50ID0gMjYNCmBgYA0KYHJlbSBqb2huIC1pPU15QWxwaGEgLi4vUGFzc3dvcmRzLnR4dGANCg0KIyMjIFJlbWFya3MNCg0KIyMjIyBUaGUgZ29vZCBuZXdzDQoNCk5vdCBzbyBnb29kIGZvciBjdXN0b21lcnMgYWN0dWFsbHk6IHRoZSBzaW5nbGUgbW9kZSB3aWxsIGJlIGFibGUgdG8gcXVpY2sgKGluIGEgbWF0dGVyIG9mIHNlY29uZHMgZm9yIHRoZSAxMDAwIHNhbXBsZXMgSSB1c2VkKSBzb2x2ZSAxMCUgb2YgdGhlIHVzZXJzIGJ5IHVzaW5nIGNvbW1vbiBwYXR0ZXJucyBhcHBsaWVkIHRvIHRoZWlyIHVzZXIgbmFtZXMuIFRoaXMgbWlnaHQgbm90IGJlIHZhbGlkIGZvciBvdGhlciBzYW1wbGVzDQoNCiMjIyMgVGhlIGJhZCBuZXdzDQoNCioqam9obioqIGlzIHNpbmdsZSB0aHJlYWRlZCwgc28gSSBoYWQgdG8gc3BsaXQgdGhlIHBhc3N3b3Jkcy50eHQgaW50byBmb3VyIGZpbGVzIGFuZCBydW4gaXQgaW4gcGFyYWxsZWwuIEFmdGVyIHNldmVyYWwgZGF5cyBqdXN0IHNvbWUgYWRkaXRpb25hbCB0ZW5zIG9mIHBhc3N3b3JkcyB3ZXJlIGRpc2NvdmVyZWQsICgxLCAyIG9yIDMgbGV0dGVycy9kaWdpdHMpIHNvIEkgY2FkIHNheSBnb29kIGJ5IHRvIHRoZSByZXN0DQoNCiMjIEhhc2hjYXQNCg0KSXQgY29tZXMgaW50byB0d28gZmxhdm91cnM6DQotIENQVSBiYXNlZCAoW2h0dHBzOi8vaGFzaGNhdC5uZXQvaGFzaGNhdC9dKGh0dHBzOi8vaGFzaGNhdC5uZXQvaGFzaGNhdC8pKQ0KLSBHUFUgYmFzZWQgKFtodHRwczovL2hhc2hjYXQubmV0L29jbGhhc2hjYXQvXShodHRwczovL2hhc2hjYXQubmV0L29jbGhhc2hjYXQvKSkNCg0KSWYgeW91IGFyZSBsdWNreSBlbm91Z2ggdG8gaGF2ZSBvbmUgb2YgdGhlIHR3byBzdXBwb3J0ZWQgR1BVJyAoQU1EIG9yIE52aWRpYSkgZ28gZm9yIHRoZSBzZWNvbmQgKHNldmVyYWwgbWFnbml0dWRlIHRpbWVzIGZhc3RlciBpbiBteSBzYW1wbGVzISkuDQoNClRoZSB1c2FnZSBsb29rZWQgbW9yZSBjb21wbGljYXRlZCB0aGFuIGZvciBqb2huIChtaWdodCB3b3J0aCB0byBleHBsb3JlIGRpcHBlcik7IHdoYXQgSSB1c2VkIHNvcnQgb2YgZXh0ZW5zaXZlbHkgd2FzIHRoZSBgbWFzayBhdHRhY2tgIChbaHR0cHM6Ly9oYXNoY2F0Lm5ldC93aWtpL2Rva3UucGhwP2lkPW1hc2tfYXR0YWNrXShodHRwczovL2hhc2hjYXQubmV0L3dpa2kvZG9rdS5waHA/aWQ9bWFza19hdHRhY2spKS4NCg0KUGFzc3dvcmQgdGV4dCBmaWxlIHNob3VsZCBjb250YWluIChwZXIgbGluZSkganVzdCB0aGUgY3RyeXB0bygzKSBwYXJ0LCBubyB1c2VyIG5hbWVzDQoNClNhbXBsZXMgKHNob3VsZCBiZSB0aGUgc2FtZSBmb3IgQ1BVIGJhc2VkIGhhc2hjYXQgKGBoYXNoY2F0LWNsaTY0LmV4ZWApKToNCmBgYA0KY3VkYUhhc2hjYXQ2NC5leGUgLS1oYXNoLXR5cGU9NTAwIC1hIDMgQ3J5cHRIYXNoZXMudHh0ID9sP2w/bD9sP2wNCmN1ZGFIYXNoY2F0NjQuZXhlIC0taGFzaC10eXBlPTUwMCAtYSAzIENyeXB0SGFzaGVzLnR4dCA/bD9sP2w/ZA0KY3VkYUhhc2hjYXQ2NC5leGUgLS1oYXNoLXR5cGU9NTAwIC1hIDMgQ3J5cHRIYXNoZXMudHh0ID9sP2w/bD9sP2QNCmN1ZGFIYXNoY2F0NjQuZXhlIC0taGFzaC10eXBlPTUwMCAtYSAzIENyeXB0SGFzaGVzLnR4dCA/bD9sP2w/bD9sP2QNCmN1ZGFIYXNoY2F0NjQuZXhlIC0taGFzaC10eXBlPTUwMCAtYSAzIENyeXB0SGFzaGVzLnR4dCA/bD9sP2w/bD9sP2w/ZA0KY3VkYUhhc2hjYXQ2NC5leGUgLS1pbmNyZW1lbnQgLS1pbmNyZW1lbnQtbWluPTQgLS1oYXNoLXR5cGU9NTAwIC1hIDMgQ3J5cHRIYXNoZXMudHh0IC0xID9sP2QgPzE/MT8xPzE/MT8xDQoNCmBgYA0KWW91IGNhbiB1c2UgdXAgdG8gNCBjdXN0b20gY2hhciBzZXQgZGVmaW5pdGlvbnMsIHNvbWV0aGluZyBsaWtlOg0KYGBgDQpjdWRhSGFzaGNhdDY0LmV4ZSAtLWhhc2gtdHlwZT01MDAgLWEgMyBDcnlwdEhhc2hlcy50eHQgLTEgP3UgLTIgP2wgLTMgP2QgPzE/Mj8yPzI/Mz8zDQpgYGANClRoaXMgd2lsbCBtZWFuIHRyeSBhbGwgY29tYmluYXRpb25zIHRoYXQgc3RhcnQgd2l0aCBhbiB1cHBlciBsZXR0ZXIsIGNvbnRhaW5zIDMgbG93ZXIgY2FzZSBsZXR0ZXJzIGFuZCBlbmRzIHVwIGludG8gdHdvIGZpZ3VyZXMuDQoNCg0KQmVzdCBndWVzczogdGhlcmUgaXMgYSB0b29sIHRoYXQgYmFzZWQgb24gbWFzayBjYW4gZ2VuZXJhdGUgd29yZCBmaWxlcyBvbiB3aGljaCB5b3UgY291bGQgcnVuIGhhc2hjYXQgYnkgYXBwbHlpbmcgcnVsZXMuIEp1c3QgcHV0dGluZyAob25jZSBhZ2FpbiwgYXMgYmVzdCBndWVzcykgdG9nZXRoZXIgd2hhdCBJIHJlbWVtYmVyIGZyb20gcmVhZGluZyBjaGFvdGljYWxseSB0aGUgZG9jdW1lbnRhdGlvbi4NCg0KIyMjIFRoZSBHb29kIE5ld3MNCg0KSWYgcGFzc3dvcmRzIGFyZSBzaG9ydCBlbm91Z2ggKDV+NiBpbiBsZW5ndGgpIGFuZCB5b3Ugd2lsbCBiZSBhYmxlIHRvIGd1ZXNzIHRoZSByaWdodCBtYXNrIHRoZSBHUFUgYmFzZWQgdmVyc2lvbiB3aWxsIG1pZ2h0IGRvIHRoZSBqb2IgKGxpa2UgMjAgaG91cnMgZm9yID9sP2w/bD9sP2wgbWFzaykuIENQVSBsb2FkIHdpbGwgYmUgbWluaW1hbC4NCg0KDQojIyMgVGhlIEJhZCBOZXdzDQpJZiB0aGUgdXNlcnMgd2VyZSBjbGV2ZXIgZW5vdWdoIHRvIHVzZSBsb25nZXIgcGFzc3dvcmRzLCBjb21iaW5hdGlvbiBvZiBVcHBlci9sb3dlci9kaWdpdHMvc3BlY2lhbCBjaGFyYWN0ZXIgc3ByZWFkIGFsbCBvdmVyIHRoZSBzdHJpbmcgeW91IGFyZSBzdHVjayBpbiBtb250aHMveWVhcnMgb2Ygd2FpdGluZw0KDQojIENvbW1vbiBSZW1hcmtzDQoNCkZvdW5kIHBhc3N3b3JkcyBhcmUgc3RvcmVkIGluIGpvaG4ucG90LCByZXNwZWN0aXZlbHkgKmhhc2hjYXQucG90DQpCb3RoIHRvb2xzIGFyZSByZS1zdGFydC1hYmxlOg0KDQotIGNvbGQgcmVzdGFydDoganVzdCByZXN0YXJ0IHRoZSBwcm9jZXNzIGFuZCBmb3VuZCBwYXNzd29yZHMgYXJlIHNraXBwZWQgKGJ1dCB0aGUgcHJvY2VzcyBpcyBzdGFydGVkIGZyb20gdGhlIGJlZ2lubmluZyBvbiBhIHNtYWxsZXIgbGlzdCBvZiBoYXNoZXMpDQotIHdhcm0gcmVzdGFydCwgYmFzZWQgb24gYSBzYXZlZCBzZXNzaW9uIHdoaWNoIHdpbGwgYWN0dWFsbHkgcmVzdGFydCB3ZXJlIGZyb20gaXQgd2FzIGludGVycnVwdGVkOg0KCS0gdGVzdGVkIHRvciBjdWRhSGFzaGNhdDogcHJvdmlkZSBhIHNlc3Npb24gbmFtZSBhdCBmaXJzdCBydW4gYW5kIHVzZSB0aGF0IHNlc3Npb24gbmFtZSBmb3IgcmVzdG9yZQ0KYGBgDQpjdWRhSGFzaGNhdDY0LmV4ZSAtLWhhc2gtdHlwZT01MDAgLWEgMyAtLXNlc3Npb249U2Vzc2lvbiBDcnlwdEhhc2hlczEwLnR4dCAgLTEgYWJjZGVmZ2hpamxtbm9wcnN0dXYgPzE/MT8xPzE/MT8xDQouLi4NCmN1ZGFIYXNoY2F0NjQuZXhlIC0tc2Vzc2lvbj1TZXNzaW9uIC0tcmVzdG9yZQ0KYGBgDQoqKkJlIGF3YXJlOioqIERvIG5vdCBxdWl0IGltbWVkaWF0ZWx5IGFmdGVyIHJlc3RhcnRpbmcgaW4gcmVzdG9yZSBtb2RlOyB3YWl0IHRpbGwgdGhlIGN1cnJlbnQgcmVzdG9yZSBwb2ludCBjaGFuZ2VzIGZyb20gemVybyB0byBzb21ldGhpbmcgbmVhciB0aGUgYWN0dWFsIHByb2dyZXNzIHZhbHVlIG90aGVyd2lzZSB5b3Ugd2lsbCBsb29zZSBhbGwgd29yayBkb25lIHNvIGZhci4gVGhpcyBpcyBub3JtYWwgYmVoYXZpb3VyIGFzIHN0YXRlZCBvbiBzb21lIGFuc3dlcnMgb24gZm9ydW0s
