INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEM HACKING AND PASSWORD CRACKING TECHNIQUES

System hacking and password cracking are two critical areas of cybersecurity, often studied to help
protect systems from unauthorized access. Here’s an introductory overview of these concepts, covering
common hacking techniques and password-cracking methods. Understanding these approaches from a
defensive perspective helps security professionals develop strategies to safeguard networks, systems,
and sensitive information.

1. System Hacking Overview

System hacking refers to the methods attackers use to gain unauthorized access to computers or
networks. This can involve exploiting software vulnerabilities, cracking passwords, or using social
engineering tactics. Here are some basic steps involved in system hacking:

a. Footprinting and Reconnaissance

Attackers gather information about the target system or network, such as IP addresses, domain names,
network structure, and open ports.

Tools like Nmap, WHOIS, and Netcat can provide valuable details during the reconnaissance stage.

b. Scanning and Enumeration

Attackers further probe the network to identify open ports, services running on those ports, and
vulnerable applications.

Scanning tools like Nessus, Nikto, and Angry IP Scanner help gather this information.

Enumeration is used to extract details like usernames, network resources, and shares.

c. Gaining Access

This step involves exploiting vulnerabilities in applications, operating systems, or network

configurations.

Common methods include buffer overflow attacks, SQL injection, exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities, or
cracking weak passwords.

d. Maintaining Access

Once inside, attackers may install backdoors, rootkits, or trojans to ensure they can re-enter the system
even if their initial point of entry is discovered.
They might use tools like Metasploit to automate these processes.

e. Covering Tracks

Attackers hide traces of their activities to avoid detection. They may erase logs, mask IP addresses, or
use tunneling protocols like SSH or VPNs to anonymize their activities.

2. Password Cracking Techniques

Password cracking is a common method to bypass login security, and understanding these techniques is
essential to prevent unauthorized access. The most widely used methods include:

a. Brute Force Attack

The attacker attempts every possible password combination until the correct one is found.

While effective, this method is time-consuming, especially with long, complex passwords.

Tools: John the Ripper, Hydra, and Hashcat.

b. Dictionary Attack

This attack uses a list of common words, phrases, or previously used passwords to try to guess the
password.

It’s faster than brute force but only works if the password is a common or weak phrase.

Tools: Cain and Abel, Medusa, and Aircrack-ng.

c. Rainbow Table Attack

Rainbow tables are precomputed tables containing hash values of commonly used passwords. Instead of
calculating the hash for every attempt, the attacker looks up potential matches.

This approach is faster than brute force but requires significant storage space.

Tools: Ophcrack, RainbowCrack.

d. Hybrid Attack

Combines elements of dictionary and brute-force attacks. It uses dictionary words as a base but adds
extra characters, like numbers or symbols, to extend each attempt.

Effective against users who create slightly modified but common passwords.

Tools: John the Ripper and Hashcat (hybrid mode).

e. Phishing and Social Engineering

Attackers use psychological manipulation to trick individuals into revealing their passwords.

Phishing emails, fake login pages, and other social engineering techniques are common methods.

f. Keylogging

A type of spyware that records keystrokes on a user’s device, capturing usernames, passwords, and
other sensitive information.

This method requires the attacker to install keylogging malware on the target device.

3. Tools and Techniques in Password Cracking

Several specialized tools are available to hackers (and ethical hackers) to test password strength:

Hashcat: A high-performance password recovery tool that supports both brute force and dictionary
attacks.

John the Ripper: Known for its efficiency in cracking complex passwords, it supports various hashing
algorithms.

Ophcrack: Uses rainbow tables for cracking Windows password hashes.

Cain and Abel: A Windows-based password recovery tool for cracking different types of passwords and
network protocols.

4. Password Hashes and Security Measures

In secure systems, passwords are typically stored as hashes. Hashing transforms plaintext passwords
into unique, fixed-length strings that are difficult to reverse-engineer. Some commonly used hashing
algorithms include MD5, SHA-1, and bcrypt.

To defend against password-cracking attacks, companies often adopt measures such as:

Salting: Adding random data to each password before hashing, making rainbow table attacks ineffective.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adding an extra layer of security beyond the password.

Complex Password Policies: Encouraging long, complex passwords with a mix of characters.
Account Lockouts: Temporarily locking accounts after multiple failed login attempts to prevent brute
force attacks.

5. Defensive Techniques

To defend against system hacking and password cracking, security professionals employ various
strategies:

Vulnerability Management: Regularly updating software and applying patches to fix vulnerabilities.

Network Segmentation: Limiting access to sensitive areas within the network.

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS): Monitoring and blocking
malicious activities.

Security Awareness Training: Educating users on phishing, social engineering, and password security
practices.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical hacking, or penetration testing, is a legitimate approach to testing security by simulating attacks.
Ethical hackers identify weaknesses to help strengthen defenses, always working within legal and
contractual boundaries.

Conclusion

Understanding system hacking and password-cracking techniques provides insight into the mindset and
methods of attackers. This knowledge is foundational in cybersecurity, allowing professionals to
anticipate threats, develop stronger defenses, and train users in secure practices.

BASIC PRIVILEGE ESCALATION IN WINDOWS

Privilege escalation in Windows is a technique used by attackers (and ethical hackers) to gain higher
access rights within a system than originally granted. In a Windows environment, privilege escalation
can involve obtaining administrator or SYSTEM-level access, giving attackers extensive control over the
target system. Here’s a basic overview of privilege escalation methods and defenses.

1. Types of Privilege Escalation

Privilege escalation generally falls into two categories:

Vertical Privilege Escalation: The attacker elevates from a lower privilege level to a higher level (e.g.,
from a standard user to an administrator or SYSTEM).

Horizontal Privilege Escalation: The attacker maintains the same privilege level but accesses resources
assigned to another user.

Most often, when discussing Windows, we refer to vertical privilege escalation as attackers seek to
elevate their access to administrative or SYSTEM levels.

2. Common Windows Privilege Escalation Techniques

a. Exploiting Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Windows often releases security updates to patch vulnerabilities that could be exploited for privilege
escalation.

For instance, vulnerabilities in Windows processes like Win32k.sys or Task Scheduler can allow attackers
to escalate privileges.

Tools like Metasploit include modules specifically for exploiting such vulnerabilities.

b. DLL Injection / DLL Hijacking

Attackers look for applications that load DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) without specifying their full path,
allowing them to substitute malicious DLLs.

For example, if an application running with higher privileges tries to load a DLL from an unprotected
directory, the attacker can place a malicious DLL with the same name, which then executes with higher
privileges.

c. Abusing Service Misconfigurations

Misconfigured services can allow non-administrator users to escalate privileges. Common service
misconfigurations include:

Insecure Service Permissions: If a service has weak permissions, an attacker can modify it to execute
malicious code as SYSTEM.

Unquoted Service Paths: If the path to the service executable contains spaces and isn’t enclosed in
quotes, attackers can place a malicious executable in a folder earlier in the path and gain higher
privileges.

Weak Registry Permissions: Some services have registry keys that are writable by low-privilege users,
allowing attackers to alter service behavior.

d. Exploiting AlwaysInstallElevated Policy

The AlwaysInstallElevated policy allows MSI files (Microsoft Installer files) to be installed with elevated
privileges.

If this policy is enabled for both the user and machine, attackers can create a malicious MSI file and
install it with SYSTEM privileges.

e. Access Token Manipulation

Windows uses access tokens to determine the permissions of processes. By manipulating these tokens,
attackers can impersonate higher-privilege users.

Token Impersonation: If a process with high privileges allows impersonation, attackers can "steal" the
token and impersonate the user (like an administrator) associated with it.

Token Privilege Adjustment: Attackers adjust token privileges to gain access to restricted functions and
resources.

f. Scheduled Task Abuse

Windows Task Scheduler allows users to create tasks with specific permissions.

Attackers can schedule tasks to run with elevated privileges by targeting misconfigurations or
manipulating tasks owned by administrators.

g. Abusing LPE Vulnerabilities in Software

Some third-party applications may have local privilege escalation (LPE) vulnerabilities, allowing attackers
to escalate privileges when those applications run.

Example: Vulnerabilities in applications like antivirus software or certain drivers can sometimes be
exploited to gain higher privileges.

h. Password Mining
SAM File Dumping: Windows stores password hashes in the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) file. With
administrative access, attackers can extract these hashes and use tools like Mimikatz or Pwdump to
crack them.

Credential Dumping: Tools like Mimikatz can extract plaintext passwords, hashes, and tokens from
memory, often leveraging SYSTEM-level access to dump credentials.

3. Tools Commonly Used for Privilege Escalation in Windows

Several tools are widely used by attackers (and penetration testers) for privilege escalation:

Mimikatz: Used for extracting plaintext passwords, hashes, PINs, and Kerberos tickets from memory.
Mimikatz is extremely effective for credential dumping.

Metasploit: Provides modules for known privilege escalation exploits on Windows, making it a go-to tool
for automated exploitation.

PowerSploit: A collection of PowerShell scripts, with modules for privilege escalation, including service
exploitation, token impersonation, and more.

Windows Exploit Suggester: Analyzes system information and provides a list of known vulnerabilities
applicable to the system, guiding the tester on potential escalation exploits.

PrivescCheck: A PowerShell script that automates privilege escalation checks to highlight

misconfigurations and vulnerabilities on a Windows system.

4. Mitigations and Defense Against Privilege Escalation

a. Regular Patching and Updates

Keeping the operating system and applications updated is crucial to prevent attackers from exploiting
known vulnerabilities.

b. Implementing the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP)

Users should only have the minimum privileges necessary to perform their tasks. Limit access to
administrator accounts and avoid using them for routine tasks.

c. Service and Application Hardening

Restrict permissions for services, applications, and scheduled tasks to prevent unauthorized users from
making changes.

Ensure that service paths are properly quoted to prevent exploitation of unquoted service paths.

d. Use Credential Guard and LSA Protection

Credential Guard is a Windows feature that isolates and protects credentials. LSA Protection (Local
Security Authority Protection) can prevent credential dumping by preventing unprivileged access to LSA.

These features are available in Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows Server editions.

e. Auditing and Monitoring

Regularly audit privileged accounts, service permissions, and registry settings.

Monitor the creation of new scheduled tasks, new services, and changes to service configurations, as
these can indicate privilege escalation attempts.

f. Disable Unnecessary Services and Remove Insecure Policies

Disable the AlwaysInstallElevated policy unless explicitly needed and ensure unnecessary services are
disabled or removed.

g. Use Strong Authentication

Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accessing privileged accounts to reduce the risk of
password-based privilege escalation.

Conclusion

Privilege escalation is a crucial step in the attack chain, enabling attackers to gain full control over a
system. By understanding these techniques, system administrators and security teams can proactively
secure their Windows environments, apply proper hardening techniques, and monitor for suspicious
behavior to prevent unauthorized access escalation.