Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Which password cracking tool was used by Malcolm to gain unauthorized access?

1. Medusa

2. hashcat

3. John the Ripper

4. THC Hydra

The correct answer is: hashcat

Hashcat is recognized for its efficient and innovative approach to password cracking, leveraging the power of GPUs to handle massive amounts of data quickly. It supports a wide array of hashing algorithms, making it exceptionally versatile for various password recovery scenarios. This capability makes it suitable for attacking both simple and complex hashed passwords. In the context of unauthorized access, the effectiveness of Hashcat can be attributed to its speed and ability to utilize different cracking methods, such as dictionary attacks and brute force, to crack passwords. Users can find themselves able to run multiple threads in parallel, significantly reducing the time taken to discover passwords compared to CPU-based methods. While other tools like John the Ripper, THC Hydra, Medusa, and similar programs have their own strengths, Hashcat stands out due to its performance on large datasets and complex hash types, enabling it to effectively assist in pentesting scenarios where password strength is tested. This makes it a likely choice for someone attempting to gain unauthorized access using password cracking techniques.