Password cracking is the process of recovering passwords from data that has been stored in or transmitted by a computer system. A common approach is to repeatedly try guesses for the password.
Users often choose weak passwords. Examples of insecure choices include single words found in dictionaries, family names, any too short password (usually thought to be less than 6 or 7 characters), or predictable patterns (e.g. alternating vowels and consonants, which is known as leetspeak, so "password" becomes "p@55w0rd").
Creating a targeted wordlists, which is generated towards the target, often gives the highest success rate. There are public tools out there that will create a dictionary based on a combination of company websites, personal social networks and other common information (such as birthdays or year of graduation).
A last resort is to try every possible password, known as a brute force attack. In theory, if there is no limit to the number of attempts, a brute force attack will always be successful since the rules for acceptable passwords must be publicly known; but as the length of the password increases, so does the number of possible passwords making the attack time longer.
Lets take a look into some unsafe scenarios
Low Level Brute Force Source Code (php)
<?php
if( isset( $_GET[ 'Login' ] ) ) {
// Get username
$user = $_GET[ 'username' ];
// Get password
$pass = $_GET[ 'password' ];
$pass = md5( $pass );
// Check the database
$query = "SELECT * FROM `users` WHERE user = '$user' AND password = '$pass';";
$result = mysqli_query($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $query ) or die( '<pre>' . ((is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_error($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) : (($___mysqli_res = mysqli_connect_error()) ? $___mysqli_res : false)) . '</pre>' );
if( $result && mysqli_num_rows( $result ) == 1 ) {
// Get users details
$row = mysqli_fetch_assoc( $result );
$avatar = $row["avatar"];
// Login successful
echo "<p>Welcome to the password protected area {$user}</p>";
echo "<img src=\"{$avatar}\" />";
}
else {
// Login failed
echo "<pre><br />Username and/or password incorrect.</pre>";
}
((is_null($___mysqli_res = mysqli_close($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]))) ? false : $___mysqli_res);
}
?>
The developer has completely missed out any protections methods, allowing for anyone to try as many times as they wish, to login to any user without any repercussions.
Medium Level Brute Force Source Code (php)
<?php
if( isset( $_GET[ 'Login' ] ) ) {
// Sanitise username input
$user = $_GET[ 'username' ];
$user = ((isset($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) && is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_real_escape_string($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $user ) : ((trigger_error("[MySQLConverterToo] Fix the mysql_escape_string() call! This code does not work.", E_USER_ERROR)) ? "" : ""));
// Sanitise password input
$pass = $_GET[ 'password' ];
$pass = ((isset($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) && is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_real_escape_string($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $pass ) : ((trigger_error("[MySQLConverterToo] Fix the mysql_escape_string() call! This code does not work.", E_USER_ERROR)) ? "" : ""));
$pass = md5( $pass );
// Check the database
$query = "SELECT * FROM `users` WHERE user = '$user' AND password = '$pass';";
$result = mysqli_query($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $query ) or die( '<pre>' . ((is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_error($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) : (($___mysqli_res = mysqli_connect_error()) ? $___mysqli_res : false)) . '</pre>' );
if( $result && mysqli_num_rows( $result ) == 1 ) {
// Get users details
$row = mysqli_fetch_assoc( $result );
$avatar = $row["avatar"];
// Login successful
echo "<p>Welcome to the password protected area {$user}</p>";
echo "<img src=\"{$avatar}\" />";
}
else {
// Login failed
sleep( 2 );
echo "<pre><br />Username and/or password incorrect.</pre>";
}
((is_null($___mysqli_res = mysqli_close($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]))) ? false : $___mysqli_res);
}
?>
This stage adds a sleep on the failed login screen. This mean when you login incorrectly, there will be an extra two second wait before the page is visible. This will only slow down the amount of requests which can be processed a minute, making it longer to brute force.
High Level Brute Force Source Code (php)
<?php
if( isset( $_GET[ 'Login' ] ) ) {
// Check Anti-CSRF token
checkToken( $_REQUEST[ 'user_token' ], $_SESSION[ 'session_token' ], 'index.php' );
// Sanitise username input
$user = $_GET[ 'username' ];
$user = stripslashes( $user );
$user = ((isset($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) && is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_real_escape_string($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $user ) : ((trigger_error("[MySQLConverterToo] Fix the mysql_escape_string() call! This code does not work.", E_USER_ERROR)) ? "" : ""));
// Sanitise password input
$pass = $_GET[ 'password' ];
$pass = stripslashes( $pass );
$pass = ((isset($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) && is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_real_escape_string($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $pass ) : ((trigger_error("[MySQLConverterToo] Fix the mysql_escape_string() call! This code does not work.", E_USER_ERROR)) ? "" : ""));
$pass = md5( $pass );
// Check database
$query = "SELECT * FROM `users` WHERE user = '$user' AND password = '$pass';";
$result = mysqli_query($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $query ) or die( '<pre>' . ((is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_error($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) : (($___mysqli_res = mysqli_connect_error()) ? $___mysqli_res : false)) . '</pre>' );
if( $result && mysqli_num_rows( $result ) == 1 ) {
// Get users details
$row = mysqli_fetch_assoc( $result );
$avatar = $row["avatar"];
// Login successful
echo "<p>Welcome to the password protected area {$user}</p>";
echo "<img src=\"{$avatar}\" />";
}
else {
// Login failed
sleep( rand( 0, 3 ) );
echo "<pre><br />Username and/or password incorrect.</pre>";
}
((is_null($___mysqli_res = mysqli_close($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]))) ? false : $___mysqli_res);
}
// Generate Anti-CSRF token
generateSessionToken();
?>
There has been an "anti Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) token" used. There is a old myth that this protection will stop brute force attacks. This is not the case. This level also extends on the medium level, by waiting when there is a failed login but this time it is a random amount of time between two and four seconds. The idea of this is to try and confuse any timing predictions. Using a CAPTCHA form could have a similar effect as a CSRF token.
Safe scenario
<?php
if( isset( $_POST[ 'Login' ] ) && isset ($_POST['username']) && isset ($_POST['password']) ) {
// Check Anti-CSRF token
checkToken( $_REQUEST[ 'user_token' ], $_SESSION[ 'session_token' ], 'index.php' );
// Sanitise username input
$user = $_POST[ 'username' ];
$user = stripslashes( $user );
$user = ((isset($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) && is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_real_escape_string($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $user ) : ((trigger_error("[MySQLConverterToo] Fix the mysql_escape_string() call! This code does not work.", E_USER_ERROR)) ? "" : ""));
// Sanitise password input
$pass = $_POST[ 'password' ];
$pass = stripslashes( $pass );
$pass = ((isset($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"]) && is_object($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"])) ? mysqli_real_escape_string($GLOBALS["___mysqli_ston"], $pass ) : ((trigger_error("[MySQLConverterToo] Fix the mysql_escape_string() call! This code does not work.", E_USER_ERROR)) ? "" : ""));
$pass = md5( $pass );
// Default values
$total_failed_login = 3;
$lockout_time = 15;
$account_locked = false;
// Check the database (Check user information)
$data = $db->prepare( 'SELECT failed_login, last_login FROM users WHERE user = (:user) LIMIT 1;' );
$data->bindParam( ':user', $user, PDO::PARAM_STR );
$data->execute();
$row = $data->fetch();
// Check to see if the user has been locked out.
if( ( $data->rowCount() == 1 ) && ( $row[ 'failed_login' ] >= $total_failed_login ) ) {
// User locked out. Note, using this method would allow for user enumeration!
//echo "<pre><br />This account has been locked due to too many incorrect logins.</pre>";
// Calculate when the user would be allowed to login again
$last_login = strtotime( $row[ 'last_login' ] );
$timeout = $last_login + ($lockout_time * 60);
$timenow = time();
/*
print "The last login was: " . date ("h:i:s", $last_login) . "<br />";
print "The timenow is: " . date ("h:i:s", $timenow) . "<br />";
print "The timeout is: " . date ("h:i:s", $timeout) . "<br />";
*/
// Check to see if enough time has passed, if it hasn't locked the account
if( $timenow < $timeout ) {
$account_locked = true;
// print "The account is locked<br />";
}
}
// Check the database (if username matches the password)
$data = $db->prepare( 'SELECT * FROM users WHERE user = (:user) AND password = (:password) LIMIT 1;' );
$data->bindParam( ':user', $user, PDO::PARAM_STR);
$data->bindParam( ':password', $pass, PDO::PARAM_STR );
$data->execute();
$row = $data->fetch();
// If its a valid login...
if( ( $data->rowCount() == 1 ) && ( $account_locked == false ) ) {
// Get users details
$avatar = $row[ 'avatar' ];
$failed_login = $row[ 'failed_login' ];
$last_login = $row[ 'last_login' ];
// Login successful
echo "<p>Welcome to the password protected area <em>{$user}</em></p>";
echo "<img src=\"{$avatar}\" />";
// Had the account been locked out since last login?
if( $failed_login >= $total_failed_login ) {
echo "<p><em>Warning</em>: Someone might of been brute forcing your account.</p>";
echo "<p>Number of login attempts: <em>{$failed_login}</em>.<br />Last login attempt was at: <em>${last_login}</em>.</p>";
}
// Reset bad login count
$data = $db->prepare( 'UPDATE users SET failed_login = "0" WHERE user = (:user) LIMIT 1;' );
$data->bindParam( ':user', $user, PDO::PARAM_STR );
$data->execute();
} else {
// Login failed
sleep( rand( 2, 4 ) );
// Give the user some feedback
echo "<pre><br />Username and/or password incorrect.<br /><br/>Alternative, the account has been locked because of too many failed logins.<br />If this is the case, <em>please try again in {$lockout_time} minutes</em>.</pre>";
// Update bad login count
$data = $db->prepare( 'UPDATE users SET failed_login = (failed_login + 1) WHERE user = (:user) LIMIT 1;' );
$data->bindParam( ':user', $user, PDO::PARAM_STR );
$data->execute();
}
// Set the last login time
$data = $db->prepare( 'UPDATE users SET last_login = now() WHERE user = (:user) LIMIT 1;' );
$data->bindParam( ':user', $user, PDO::PARAM_STR );
$data->execute();
}
// Generate Anti-CSRF token
generateSessionToken();
?>
Brute force (and user enumeration) should not be possible in the impossible level. The developer has added a "lock out" feature, where if there are five bad logins within the last 15 minutes, the locked out user cannot log in. If the locked out user tries to login, even with a valid password, it will say their username or password is incorrect. This will make it impossible to know if there is a valid account on the system, with that password, and if the account is locked. This can cause a "Denial of Service" (DoS), by having someone continually trying to login to someone's account. This level would need to be extended by blacklisting the attacker (e.g. IP address, country, user-agent).
