Today, i am going to show you many aspects of the Windows Password Storage path, Method of Encryption, and breaking into Windows by cracking the admin password. We need this often for many reasons: 1) Sometime we have forgotten our old password and Hint isn’t helping out. 2) We want to break into someone computer to get the information. 3) Just want to take revenge from someone. 4) Stealing computer data. Lets, take a deep dive in Cracking Windows password and also where these are stored and in which format. SAM file and Password Hashes~Place where these passwords are stored in Hashes: 7524248b4d2c9a9eadd3b435c51404eddc5 This is a password Hash. This is what is actually being checked against when you type your password in. It encrypts what you typed and bounces it against what is stored in the Registry and/or SAM File. You can break this hash password from SAM File – Holds the user names and password hashes for every account on the local machine, or domain if it is a domain controller. Location of SAM/Hashes: The second location of the SAM or corresponding hashes can be found in the registry. It can be found under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESAM. This is also locked to all users, including Administrator, while the machine is in use.(GO to Run and Type Regedit and Hit enter, Now scroll to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESAM, However you may not access to it.) So the two (Some other also) locations of the SAMHashes are: Cracking or Breaking Into Admin Account: It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s effective. You can get a copy of NTFSDOS from Sysinternals(http://www.sysinternals.com) The regular version of NTFSDOS is freeware, which is always nice, but only allows for Read-Only access. This should be fine for what you want to do, however, if you’re the kind of person that just has to have total control and has some money to burn. NTFSDOS Pro, which is also by Sysinternals has read/write access but it’ll cost you $299. 2) You can also get password hashes by using pwdump2 (Google It to get software ~ Search at openwall.com). pwdump uses .DLL injection in order to use the system account to view and get the password hashes stored in the registry. It then obtains the hashes from the registry and stores them in a handy little text file that you can then paste them into a password cracking utility like l0phtcrack or John the ripper (Linux Based works well) also cain and abel can be used. 3) Import Hashes directly from l0phtcrack, and let them open to you by cracking. Obtained Hashes? Now crack them: 1) John the Ripper – John the Ripper is to many, the old standby password cracker. It is command line which makes it nice if you’re doing some scripting, and best of all it’s free and in open source. The only real thing that JtR is lacking is the ability to launch Brute Force attacks against your password file. But look at it this way, even though it is only a dictionary cracker, that will probably be all you need. I would say that in my experience I can find about 85-90% of the passwords in a given file by using just a dictionary attack. 2) L0phtCrack – Probably the most wildly popular password cracker out there. L0phtCrack is sold by the folks at @Stake. And with a pricetag of $249 for a single user license it sure seems like every one owns it. This is probably the nicest password cracker you will ever see. With the ability to import hashes directly from the registry pwdump and dictionary, hybrid, and brute-force capabilities. No password should last long. Well, I shouldn’t say “no password”. But almost all will fall to L0phtCrack given enough time. Making Your Own Password in Windows: |