ophcrack (Time-Memory-Trade-Off-Crack)
About
A windows password cracker based on the faster time-memory trade-off using
rainbow tables.
This is an evolution of the original ophcrack 1.0 developed at EPFL
(http://lasecwww.epfl.ch/~oechslin/projects/ophcrack)
Ophrack comes with a Qt Graphical User Interface which runs on Windows,
Mac OS X as well as on Unix.
Install ophcrack
Ophcrack can be downloaded from sourceforge: http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net
Binaries compiled for Windows are provided. These binaries are standalone
(portable) and no installation is required.
The Linux version is a source package. It can be compiled and
installed using these commands:
./configure
make
make install
Tables
The tables have to be downloaded manually:
http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/tables.php
HOWTO
This howto assumes you have already installed ophcrack 3 and downloaded the
ophcrack rainbow tables you want to use. It also assumes that you understand how
to use third party tools like pwdump or mimikatz
(https://github.com/gentilkiwi/mimikatz) to dump the SAM of a Windows system.
Ophcrack and the ophcrack LiveCD are available for free at the ophcrack project
page (http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/).
Ophcrack rainbow tables are available at ophcrack rainbow tables page
(http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/tables.php).
First step (optional)
This step is optional but will speed up the cracking process.
Run ophcrack and set the number of threads under the Preferences tab to the
number of logical cores of the computer running ophcrack (accounting for
Hyper-threading).
Second step
Load hashes using the Load button. You can either enter the hash manually
(Single hash option), import a text file containing hashes you created with
pwdump, mimikatz or similar third party tools (PWDUMP file option), extract the
hashes from the SYSTEM and SAM files (Encrypted SAM option) or dump the SAM from
the computer ophcrack is running on (Local SAM option).
For the Encrypted SAM option, the SAM is located under the Windows
system32/config directory and can only be accessed for a Windows partition that
is NOT running. For the Local SAM option, you MUST execute ophcrack with the
administrator rights on the computer you want to dump the SAM.
Third step (optional)
This step is optional but will speed up the cracking process.
Delete with the Delete button every user account you are not interested in (for
exemple the Guest account). You can use the Ctrl key to make multiple selection.
Ctrl-a will select every loaded hash.
Keep in mind that the time needed to crack password hashes with rainbow tables
is proportional to the number of hashes loaded. With a brute force attack the
cracking time is NOT dependant on the number of unsalted hashes loaded. That’s
why it’s advisable to remove any unnecessary user account with the Delete
button.
Fourth step
Install (Tables button), enable (green and yellow buttons) and sort wisely (up
and down arrows) the rainbow tables your are going to use. Keep in mind that
storing the rainbow tables on a fast medium like a SSD will significantly
speed up the cracking process.
Fifth step
Click on the Crack button to start the cracking process. You’ll see the progress
of the cracking process in the bottom boxes of the ophcrack window. When a
password is found, it will be displayed in the NT Pwd field. You can then save
the results of a cracking session at any time with the Save button.
When it comes to free Windows password crackers, users usually opt for Ophcrack as it is free and easily available. From the search outcomes to see, they all introduced Ophcrack Live CD, talking about how to crack windows 7/xp/vista passowrd, and have no words about how to crack ophcrack windows 10, ’cause ophcrack live cd can not do it, but with the update of ophcrack 3.8.0, it can be possible crack windows 10 password. The latest version of Ophcrack supports Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10. Ophcrack Live CD is available for Windows XP and Vista/7. As for Ophcrack Windows 11, maybe we should wait for updating.
In this Ophcrack guide, we will help you to understand the tool and also offer some great Ophcrack alternative that are way better and easier to use. Due to the highest success rate, the main focus will be revealing the power of UnlockGo (Windows) a password cracker tool. If you are interested in finding more ways to bypass Windows security, stay with us.
Ophcrack Windows Password Recovery Tool Free Download
With the latest versions of Windows, Ophcrack is also introducing newer versions. For successful attempts, you need to download the latest version only. Many sites keep uploading the old versions that don’t work for Windows 10 or the later versions. Before you download Ophcrack for your PC or laptop, here are a few things that you need to know about this Windows password cracking tool.
1. What is Ophcrack and how does it work?
Ophcrack is a known tool used for password cracking for different versions of Windows. Even for a strong password, with the combination of special characters, numbers and words, this tool works fine. The best thing is the free availability of the tool, and the other major thing is the intelligent algorithm that is known as rainbow tables.
Any other brute force password cracking algorithm will try all the possible combinations, but this process will take hours. In rainbow tables, the Ophcrack tool reduces the processing time by comparing the possible hashes against millions of pre-loaded passwords. In simple ways, the background process for password matching is already done in the background. You can Download Ophcrack here. You will know that ophcrack can crack windows 10 password.
2. Is Ophcrack Free and Safe to Use?
This tool is available free of cost, and the smart algorithm makes it safe to use to crack Windows 10 password Ophcrack. Like any other tool, there are some errors, but it gets the job done. Some of the pros and cons include:
Ophcrack Pros | Ophcrack Cons |
---|---|
It is a free password recovery tool | Only passwords less than 14 characters can be recovered |
Users can recover passwords without providing any details of the previous password | Does not work for Windows 8 and later versions |
Password recovery time is pretty impressive due to the rainbow tables | Installation and usage are pretty complex |
How to Use Ophcrack to Crack Windows Password
If you have forgotten your Windows 10 or Windows 11 password, Ophcrack may be helpful, but you will have to give it a try. As this is a free tool, you may face some errors, and there is no guarantee for the successful recovery of the password. Here is how to use Ophcrack on Windows 10.
Step 1: Download ISO Files.
Before starting the password recovery process, the user needs to have access to an unlocked computer where he can download and install the Ophcrack ISO file. The latest version of the file can be downloaded from the official Ophcrack website.
Step 2: Burn ISO File.
The home page will display different downloadable files, and you need to choose ‘Ophcrack Live CD’, after that, you need to use a burning tool, and Rufus is the right choice for that purpose. To burn the file to the USB, you need to insert the USB to the computer>> upload ISO file>> burn the file.
Step 3: Insert USB into the Locked Computer.
After successful burning, insert the USB into the locked computer and make sure that the USB has the priority in the boot order. Restart your computer and then proceed further and choose the default ‘Ophcrack Graphic Mode-automatic’ option.
Step 4: Ophcrack Password Recovery Process.
After the selections, the Ophcrack password recovery process will start, and it will take a few minutes. In a moment, the tool will show you a list of user accounts on the computer and their passwords. The possible password for your computer will be displayed in the NT Password section.
Step 5: Successful Password Recovery.
Now, note down the cracked password and restart your computer. Upon the restart, use that recovered password to access your computer.
Ophcrack Alternative Password Recovery Software Free Download
If you don’t want to get involved with a complicated burning process or want a security tool with the highest success rate, UnlockGo – Windows Password Recovery is your perfect pick. After the new updates in Windows 11, the chances of password recovery with Ophcrack are pretty thin. UnlockGo for windows is a trusted Ophcrack alternative to Windows 11, and here is how it competes with Ophcrack:
UnlockGo | Ophcrack |
---|---|
The premium tool with the highest success rate | Free password recovery tool with some errors |
Works fine for Windows 10 and Windows 11 | Does not work for more than 14 characters password |
Offers different options for complex passwords too | It is not work for Windows 11 |
Offers great support for other Windows locks too | Only works fine with old versions of Windows |
If you don’t want to waste any more time with outdated tools and password recovery products, follow these steps to recover and bypass Windows passwords with UnlockGo:
📌 1. Create Password Reset Disk.
You can do this process with the help of any other computer where UnlockGo is installed. The process is quite easy and does not require the use of an external tool. You just need to insert a USB or disk into the computer, choose the device and start burning the USB or disk.
📌 2. Boot Locked Computer from Burned USB.
Now, enter the burned USB to the locked computer and restart the computer to set the boot order and then save changes and restart the computer again to boot burned USB.
📌 3. Reset Password with UnlockGo (Windows).
Upon successful boot, you will be displayed a new window with different versions of Windows, and you can choose the right version. And then you can choose target account to reset or remove password.
After this, a new password will be used to access the computer, and the old one will be removed without causing any issue.
Bottom Line
Ophcrack may work for you, but the chances are pretty thin. Although the tool is free, the success rate is not impressive. On the other hand, UnlockGo for windows is a smooth experience and offers the best results. Try the free trial or UnlockGo for windows and upgrade to the premium version whenever you want.
Last Updated :
06 Jan, 2023
Ophcrack is a free, open-source tool that can be used to recover lost Windows passwords. It works by using pre-computed tables to crack password hashes, allowing users to recover their forgotten passwords quickly and easily. In this article, we will take a look at how to use Ophcrack for Windows password recovery, with step-by-step instructions and examples.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that Ophcrack is only able to recover passwords for local Windows accounts, and not for Microsoft accounts. If you are using a Microsoft account to sign in to your Windows computer, you will need to reset your password through the Microsoft account website.
With that said, let’s take a look at how to use Ophcrack for Windows password recovery.
Step 1: Download and Install Ophcrack
- The first step in using Ophcrack for Windows password recovery is to download and install the tool. You can download the latest version of Ophcrack from the official website at https://ophcrack.github.io/.
- Once the download is complete, run the installer and follow the prompts to install Ophcrack on your computer.
Step 2: Create a Bootable Ophcrack USB or CD
- Next, you will need to create a bootable Ophcrack USB or CD. This will allow you to boot your computer from the Ophcrack USB or CD, allowing you to access the Ophcrack software and recover your lost password.
- To create a bootable Ophcrack USB, you will need a USB drive with at least 1 GB of storage space and a tool such as Rufus to create the bootable USB.
- To create a bootable Ophcrack CD, you will need a blank CD and a tool such as ImgBurn to create the bootable CD.
- Once you have your bootable Ophcrack USB or CD ready, move on to the next step.
Step 3: Boot Your Computer from the Ophcrack USB or CD
- With your bootable Ophcrack USB or CD ready, it’s time to boot your computer from it. To do this, you will need to enter your computer’s BIOS or UEFI settings and change the boot order.
- The exact steps for entering the BIOS or UEFI settings and changing the boot order will vary depending on your computer’s make and model. In general, you will need to press a key (such as F2 or Del) during the boot process to enter the BIOS or UEFI settings, and then navigate to the «Boot» or «Boot Order» settings and change the order so that the Ophcrack USB or CD is first in the list.
- Once you have changed the boot order, save your changes and exit the BIOS or UEFI settings. Your computer should now boot from the Ophcrack USB or CD.
Step 4: Use Ophcrack to Recover Your Lost Password
- With your computer booted from the Ophcrack USB or CD, you can now use the Ophcrack software to recover your lost password.
- Upon booting, Ophcrack will automatically detect all of the user accounts on your computer and display them in a list. Simply select the user account for which you want to recover the password, and Ophcrack will begin the cracking process.
- Depending on the complexity of the password, the cracking process may take some time. Ophcrack will use the pre-computed tables to try different password combinations and crack the password hash. Once the password has been recovered, it will be displayed on the screen.
Usage example:
Here’s an example of using Ophcrack to recover a lost password on a Windows 10 machine:
Step 1. You will need a USB bootable device that has kali Linux live version running on it.
Step 2. Next, you can see in the image below there are two files that stores user passwords and information in windows by the name SAM and SYSTEM.
Step 3. Now just attach your kali Linux live bootable USB to the system and boot into kali Linux.
Step 4. Now we will go to the path where the above two files are stored and we will copy them using the cp command into the desktop.
Step 5. Now we will create a Hash to load into Ophcrack software for the cracking process, use the following command to do so after copying both files into the desktop.
$ samdump2 SYSTEM SAM -o windowskey.txt
Step 6. This will create a new file of hash on your desktop.
Step 7. Now we need to download the rainbow tables from the official website, by the name window vista free, and then extract it.
Step 8. Now open Ophcrack and click on load and then click on PWDUMP and then choose the hash file we created earlier.
Step 9. Now Go to and tables and click vista free and click install, then locate the file we have extracted with the name vista free in the above steps and click open.
Step 10. after this process is done simply click on crack, and you will see it starts the cracking process. based upon your password complexity it will take time.
Conclusion
With Ophcrack, recovering a lost Windows password is quick and easy. Just be sure to use the tool responsibly and only use it to recover your own lost password. It’s also important to note that Ophcrack is not a secure solution, and there is always a chance that it may not be able to recover your lost password. In this case, you may need to try other password recovery tools or methods, or consider resetting your password through the Microsoft account website (if applicable). Regardless of the method you use, it’s always a good idea to create a strong, unique password and use a password manager to store it securely. This will help to prevent future password loss and keep your accounts safe from attackers.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Developer(s) | Cedric Tissieres Philippe Oechslin Objectif Sécurité |
---|---|
Stable release |
3.8.0 |
Repository |
|
Written in | C++, C |
Operating system | Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS |
Available in | English |
Type | Password cracking |
License | GNU General Public License |
Website | ophcrack |
Ophcrack is a free open-source (GPL licensed) program that cracks Windows log-in passwords by using LM hashes through rainbow tables. The program includes the ability to import the hashes from a variety of formats, including dumping directly from the SAM files of Windows, and can be run via the command line or using the program’s GUI (Graphical user interface). On most computers, ophcrack can crack most passwords within a few minutes.[1]
Rainbow tables for LM hashes are provided for free by the developers. By default, ophcrack is bundled with tables that allow it to crack passwords no longer than 14 characters using only alphanumeric characters. Available for free download are four Windows XP tables and four Windows Vista tables.[2]
Objectif Sécurité has even larger tables that are intended for professional use.[3] Larger rainbow tables are NTLM hash for cracking Windows Vista/Windows 7.[2] In september 2019 these tables have also been made available for free.[4]
Ophcrack is also available as Live CD distributions, which automates the retrieval, decryption, and cracking of passwords from a Windows system. One Live CD distribution is available for Windows XP and lower and another for Windows Vista and Windows 7.[5] The Live CD distributions of ophcrack are built with SliTaz GNU/Linux.
Starting with version 2.3, Ophcrack also cracks NTLM hashes. This is necessary if the generation of the LM hash is disabled (this is default for Windows Vista) or if the password is longer than 14 characters (in which case the LM hash is not stored).
Starting with version 3.7.0, the source code has been moved from SourceForge to GitLab.[6]
- Aircrack-ng
- Cain and Abel
- Crack
- DaveGrohl
- Hashcat
- John the Ripper
- L0phtCrack
- NMap
- RainbowCrack
- ^ «OPH Reviews». Pcsupport.about.com. 2011-07-30. Archived from the original on 2016-10-14. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
- ^ a b «Rainbow Tables for ophcrack». Ophcrack.sourceforge.net. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
- ^ «Objectif Sécurité. A leading Swiss company in the field of information systems security». Objectif-securite.ch. Archived from the original on 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
- ^ «All our tables are belong to you». Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ «Download ophcrack». Ophcrack.sourceforge.net. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
- ^ «Ophcrack 3.7.0 released». Ophcrack.sourceforge.net. 2017-03-30. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
Ophcrack is a free Windows password cracker based on rainbow tables. It is a very efficient implementation of rainbow tables done by the inventors of the method. It comes with a Graphical User Interface and runs on multiple platforms.
Installation
Download from https://ophcrack.sourceforge.io/.
Last update: 2023-05-02
Created: January 18, 2023 23:33:16