To crack password hashes and reveal cleartext credentials, we need to get the SAM file content. However, the SAM file cannot be moved or copied while Windows is running because of the exclusive filesystem lock obtained by the Windows kernel. Therefore, we cannot simply access the SAM file and extract usernames and passwords in the file. However, there are some methods to dump credentials in the SAM file, such as registry, in-memory and volume shadow copy techniques.
Modern Linux operating systems use a /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files to store user account information, including password hashes. /etc/shadow contains encrypted passwords as well as other information such as account or password expiration values [21]. The /etc/shadow file is readable only by the root account.
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Unshadow is a Linux utility that can combine the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files [22]. The output of the Unshadow tool can be used by John the Ripper [7] to crack password hashes and reveal plaintext passwords.
Although wmic shadowcopy list brief command lists brief information about shadow copies, it does not show the path of shadow copy volumes. But we can use vssadmin List Shadows command to get the path of shadow copy volumes.
Copy-VSS PowerShell script of Nishang can be used to copy the SAM file [43]. This script uses VSS (The Volume Shadow Copy Service ), starts it if not running, creates a shadow copy of C:, and copies the SAM file. When the script is executed on a domain controller, ntds.dit file and SYSTEM hive will also be copied. The script must be run from an elevated shell.
Once you pick a strong password, be sure to keep it safe. Watch out for keyloggers (software and hardware), screen loggers, social engineering, shoulder surfing, and avoid reusing passwords so insecure servers cannot leak more information than necessary. Password managers can help manage large numbers of complex passwords: if you are copy-pasting the stored passwords from the manager to the applications that need them, make sure to clear the copy buffer every time, and ensure they are not saved in any kind of log (e.g. do not paste them in plain terminal commands, which would store them in files like .bash_history). Note that password managers that are implemented as browser extensions may be vulnerable to side channel attacks. These can be mitigated by using password managers that run as separate applications.
If you use the same passphrase for disk encryption as you use for your login password (useful e.g. to auto-mount the encrypted partition or folder on login), make sure that /etc/shadow ends up on an encrypted partition or/and uses a strong key derivation function (i.e. yescrypt/bcrypt/argon2 or sha512 with PBKDF2, but not md5 or low iterations in PBKDF2) for the stored password hash (see SHA password hashes for more information).
By default, Arch stores the hashed user passwords in the root-only-readable /etc/shadow file, separated from the other user parameters stored in the world-readable /etc/passwd file, see Users and groups#User database. See also #Restricting root.
Passwords are set with the passwd command, which stretches them with the crypt function and then saves them in /etc/shadow. See also SHA password hashes. The passwords are also salted in order to defend them against rainbow table attacks.
The attack consists of a highly modular malware that can function as a standalone RAT and download and activate additional malicious plugins from its C2 servers. Cisco Talos has discovered multiple plugins so far, consisting of ransomware, screen-capture, clipboard monitoring and keylogger components.
Installation of the hardware USB keylogger in record mode is quick and easy. Simply plug it in between the USB keyboard and the USB port. No software or drivers are required. The USB keylogger will automatically start recording all data typed on the keyboard to the internal flash disk.
Once data has been captured in record mode, you can retrieve it on any computer with a USB port. This is done by switching to Flash Drive mode. The USB hardware keylogger and keyboard should be connected in the same way, as in record mode.
Each device has a built-in 3-key combination (by default K, B, S).Press these 3 magic keys simultaneously to trigger Flash Drive mode. The keylogger will automatically respond as a mass storage device.
The Mac Compatibility Pack (MCP) is a hardware enhancement ensuring full compatibility with Apple Mac computers and keyboards. Several Apple keyboards are USB High-Speed and Low-Speed combos, creating a challenge for all types of USB keyloggers. The aluminum Apple A1243 and A1242 are typical examples:
The USB hardware keylogger may be configured through the file CONFIG.TXT, placed in the Flash Drive root folder. Use any text editor to prepare such a configuration file, containing the following text:Password=KBSLogSpecialKeys=MediumDisableLogging=NoCopy this file to the root folder in Flash Drive mode. The configuration will be loaded on next record mode initialization.
To enable a national layout, the appropriate layout file named LAYOUT.USB must be placed in the hardware keylogger root folder. The file must be copied in Flash Drive mode (no access to the flash disk in record mode). Layout files may be obtained from the CD-ROM attached with the device or from the download section. The flash disks main folder should contain the file LAYOUT.USB and the standard log file LOG.TXT.
JACK:Oh, how interesting. A kid who operated this criminal forum had been arrested by the Canadian RCMP. He disappeared for a short while and then was back, and suddenly his website is trying to install a keylogger on all its users, tracking all their keystrokes? Brett connected the dots and suspected that this kid might be a snitch just like Brett.
JACK:It turned out that the kid running the site was arrested by the RCMP and was working with them, just as Brett suspected. He turned into an informant to avoid prison time, and so the RCMP had him set up a keylogger on the site to try to find more information on its users.
Another option is to use Linux private key. This method eliminates the need to supply password at each login, helps to protect against malicious applications like keyloggers, thus strengthening security, and simplifies launch of automated tasks, decreasing administrative load in Linux environments. For this method, a user must create a pair of keys:
Whenever a call instruction is decoded, the analyzer will add an entry to the shadow stack, and whenever a ret is decoded, the analyzer will pop an entry from the shadow stack and compare it with the target IP that was captured in the trace buffer. Mismatches are recorded. 2ff7e9595c
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