> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://capcap-1.gitbook.io/capcap/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://capcap-1.gitbook.io/capcap/readme/ctf-modules/exploitation/password-attacks/tools/hashcat.md).

# Hashcat

GPU-accelerated password cracker. Faster than JtR for raw hash cracking due to GPU parallelism. Use JtR for file cracking (`*2john`), use Hashcat when speed matters.

#### General Syntax

```bash
hashcat -a <attack_mode> -m <hash_type_id> <hash_or_file> <wordlist/mask>
```

| Flag      | Purpose                         |
| --------- | ------------------------------- |
| `-a`      | Attack mode                     |
| `-m`      | Hash type ID                    |
| `--show`  | Display cracked results         |
| `--force` | Ignore warnings (use carefully) |

***

#### Identifying Hash Type ID

```bash
# List all supported hash types
hashcat --help

# Auto-identify hash and get hashcat mode number
hashid -m '$1$FNr44XZC$wQxY6HHLrgrGX0e1195k.1'
```

**Key hash IDs to memorize:**

| ID     | Hash type                        |
| ------ | -------------------------------- |
| `0`    | MD5                              |
| `100`  | SHA1                             |
| `1400` | SHA2-256                         |
| `1700` | SHA2-512                         |
| `1000` | NTLM                             |
| `5600` | NTLMv2                           |
| `2100` | DCC2 (Domain Cached Credentials) |
| `500`  | MD5crypt / Cisco / FreeBSD       |
| `1800` | sha512crypt — Linux shadow `$6$` |
| `3200` | bcrypt `$2*$`                    |

***

#### Attack Mode 0 — Dictionary

```bash
# Basic dictionary attack
hashcat -a 0 -m 0 e3e3ec5831ad5e7288241960e5d4fdb8 /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt

# With rules (mutations — append numbers, leet substitutions, etc.)
hashcat -a 0 -m 0 1b0556a75770563578569ae21392630c /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt -r /usr/share/hashcat/rules/best64.rule
```

Rule files location:

bash

```bash
ls /usr/share/hashcat/rules/
```

**Key rules to know:**

| Rule file            | Use case                                  |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| `best64.rule`        | 64 common mutations — go-to first attempt |
| `rockyou-30000.rule` | Aggressive, larger ruleset                |
| `dive.rule`          | Most exhaustive, slowest                  |
| `leetspeak.rule`     | l33t substitutions                        |

***

#### Attack Mode 3 — Mask Attack

Targeted brute-force using a defined password pattern. Much faster than pure brute-force because you constrain the keyspace.

**Built-in character sets:**

| Symbol | Charset                    |
| ------ | -------------------------- |
| `?l`   | `a-z` lowercase            |
| `?u`   | `A-Z` uppercase            |
| `?d`   | `0-9` digits               |
| `?s`   | Special chars `!@#$...`    |
| `?a`   | All of `?l?u?d?s` combined |
| `?h`   | `0-9a-f` hex lowercase     |
| `?H`   | `0-9A-F` hex uppercase     |

```bash
# Pattern: Capital + 4 lowercase + digit + symbol (e.g. Apple3!)
hashcat -a 3 -m 0 1e293d6912d074c0fd15844d803400dd '?u?l?l?l?l?d?s'

# Custom charset: define with -1, reference with ?1
hashcat -a 3 -m 0 <hash> -1 '?l?d' '?1?1?1?1?1?1?1?1'
# ^ 8-char password using only lowercase + digits
```

> **Pentest rule:** Use mask attack when you know the password policy (e.g. "must have uppercase, number, symbol, 8 chars"). Narrows billions of combos down to millions.


---

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