Medusa
Medusa password cracking
Medusa is a powerful and popular password cracking tool that is used to break into computer systems and crack passwords. It is a speedy, parallel, and modular login brute-forcer that supports as many services that allow remote authentication as possible[6]. Medusa is an open-source tool that is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface[2]. It is designed to crack complex passwords quickly and reliably by utilizing various attacking techniques[1]. Here are some of the most remarkable capabilities of the Medusa Password Cracker:
- Dictionary Attack: Uses an exhaustive dictionary of words and phrases to guess the password[1].
- Brute Force Attack: Tries every possible combination of characters until the password is found[3].
- Combo Entries: Allows the user to use a file containing combo entries while brute-forcing. Combo files are colon-separated and in the following format: host:user:password[3].
- Concurrent Testing on Multiple Logins: Allows the user to perform concurrent testing on multiple logins[3].
- Additional Password Checks (Null/Same): Allows the user to check for null or same passwords[3].
- Stop on Success: Stops the attack after the first valid username/password is found[3].
- Suppress Startup Banner: Suppresses the startup banner[3].
- Verbose Mode: Displays verbose mode[3].
- Error Debug Level: Displays error debug level[3].
To use Medusa, the user should know only three commands: the target, username, and password[2]. The following are some examples of how to use Medusa:
- Password Cracking for Specific Username: Medusa can be used to crack passwords if the username is known on any protocol[1]. For example, to crack the password for a specific user on an FTP server, the following command can be used: medusa -h <<HOSTIP>> -u <<username>> -P <<path/to/worldist.txt>> -M ftp[6].
- Username Cracking for Specific Password: Medusa can also be used to crack the username for a known password[6]. For example, to crack the username for a known password on an FTP server, the following command can be used: medusa -h <<HOSTIP>> -U <<path/to/worldist.txt>> -p <<password>> -M ftp[6].
- Cracking Login Credentials for a Website/WebApp: Medusa can be used to crack login credentials for a website or web application[1]. For example, to crack login credentials for a website, the following command can be used: medusa -h <<HOSTIP>> -U <<path/to/worldist.txt>> -P <<path/to/worldist.txt>> -M <<modulename>>[6].
- Brute Force on Multiple Hosts: Medusa can perform concurrent testing on multiple logins[1]. For example, to perform brute force on multiple hosts, the following command can be used: medusa -H hosts.txt -U user_list.txt -P password_list.txt -M ftp[6].
In conclusion, Medusa is a powerful and effective password cracking tool that can be used to crack complex passwords quickly and reliably. It is easy to use and has a user-friendly interface. However, it is important to note that Medusa should only be used for ethical purposes and with prior permission from the owner of the system being tested.
Citations:
[1] https://logmeonce.com/resources/2023/07/17/medusa-password-cracker/
[2] https://techyrick.com/medusa-tool-tutorial/
[3] https://www.hackingarticles.in/a-detailed-guide-on-medusa/
[4] https://0x00sec.org/t/cracking-ssh-password-with-medusa/3397
[5] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/password-cracking-with-medusa-in-linux/