{"id":196236,"date":"2025-07-04T06:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T05:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/?p=196236"},"modified":"2025-06-22T18:41:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T17:41:45","slug":"all-about-hashcat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-hashcat","title":{"rendered":"Hashcat: Description, Operation, and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"196236\" class=\"elementor elementor-196236\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-45b4200 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"45b4200\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0be05be elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0be05be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 02-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><b>Are you wondering how cybersecurity experts test the strength of passwords? To understand this, you need to know what a hash is: a unique, unreadable fingerprint that protects passwords without storing them in plain text. However, when these fingerprints fall into the wrong hands, specialized software can attempt to crack them. This is where Hashcat comes into play\u2014a powerful, legal, and remarkably effective tool for auditing your security systems.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b3ba55 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"1b3ba55\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-490042c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"490042c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 02-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">What is Hashcat?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ea43d5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5ea43d5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Understanding Hashes and Their Role in Security<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-027cbdd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"027cbdd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before delving into Hashcat, you need to define what a <\/span><b>hash<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is. When a password is stored on a server, it is rarely kept in plain text. Instead, a hashing function transforms this password into a <\/span><b>unique and irreversible fingerprint<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, called a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hash<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This secures passwords by replacing them with an unreadable fingerprint while still allowing the system to verify their validity without ever needing to know or display the original password.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-cybercrime\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an attacker<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> obtains these fingerprints, they may try to retrieve the original passwords by testing thousands of combinations using <\/span><b>powerful decryption tools<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It is precisely this type of task that <\/span><b>Hashcat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> facilitates in a legal and controlled context.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-842c831 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"842c831\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Hashcat: An Ethical Hacking Tool Focused on Pentesting<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-804cba8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"804cba8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hashcat is a <\/span><b>password recovery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tool that is powerful, fast, and widely used in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/cybersecurity-the-ultimate-guide\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cybersecurity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Its goal is not to hack but to <\/span><b>test the robustness of your systems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pentest<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> performed by an expert or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-certified-ethical-hackers\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a Certified Ethical Hacker<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its use is perfectly <\/span><b>legal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, provided you have the <\/span><b>explicit permission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the system owner. Without this consent, its use could be considered an offense or even an attempt at intrusion.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84bb62f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"84bb62f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 02-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_09_11.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-196245\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_09_11.png 1536w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_09_11-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_09_11-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_09_11-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-356f9ba elementor-align-center button-principal elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"356f9ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/data-courses\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Learn about Pentest<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e29cd0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"7e29cd0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f33fcb9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f33fcb9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">Why Use Hashcat: Common Use Cases<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b330305 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b330305\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you are a cybersecurity auditor, SOC analyst, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/pentester-what-is-it\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pentester<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or simply passionate about computer security, Hashcat is an essential tool for understanding and testing the robustness of passwords. Designed to perform <\/span><b>high-performance brute-force<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><b>dictionary attacks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it allows you to simulate realistic compromise scenarios and assess the security of hashing systems. Used within a legal and ethical framework, Hashcat helps you identify weaknesses in password policies, enhance protection measures, and serves as a powerful ally in any intrusion test or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-security-audit\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">security audit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> effort.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is commonly used for:<\/span><\/p><ul><li><b>Auditing the strength of passwords<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> within a company,<\/span><\/li><li><b>Conducting pentests<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (simulated intrusion tests),<\/span><\/li><li><b>Training technical profiles<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> within cybersecurity or ethical hacking curricula.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b510280 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b510280\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hashcat allows you to <\/span><b>simulate realistic attacks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, thereby strengthening your security policies.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c21c70 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"2c21c70\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35d16f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"35d16f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">How Does Hashcat Work?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed044f5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"ed044f5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Different Types of Attacks (Brute-Force, Dictionary, Combined\u2026)<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15f0c35 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"15f0c35\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\r\n  .responsive-table {\r\n    width: 100%;\r\n    border-collapse: collapse;\r\n    font-family: sans-serif;\r\n    margin: 20px 0;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  .responsive-table thead {\r\n    background-color: #f4f4f4;\r\n    font-weight: bold;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  .responsive-table th, .responsive-table td {\r\n    padding: 12px;\r\n    border: 1px solid #ddd;\r\n    text-align: left;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\r\n    .responsive-table thead {\r\n      display: none;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table tr {\r\n      display: block;\r\n      margin-bottom: 20px;\r\n      border-bottom: 2px solid #eee;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table td {\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-align: right;\r\n      font-size: 14px;\r\n      border: none;\r\n      border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\r\n      position: relative;\r\n      padding-left: 50%;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table td::before {\r\n      content: attr(data-label);\r\n      position: absolute;\r\n      left: 15px;\r\n      width: 45%;\r\n      padding-right: 10px;\r\n      font-weight: bold;\r\n      text-align: left;\r\n    }\r\n  }\r\n<\/style>\r\n\r\n<table class=\"responsive-table\">\r\n  <thead>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <th>Attack Type<\/th>\r\n      <th>Description<\/th>\r\n      <th>Advantages<\/th>\r\n      <th>Disadvantages<\/th>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n  <\/thead>\r\n  <tbody>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Attack Type\"><strong>Brute Force<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Tests all possible combinations until the password is found.<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Advantages\">Exhaustive method, guarantees a result if the password is short or simple.<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Disadvantages\">Very slow for long or complex passwords; requires high computing power.<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Attack Type\"><strong>Dictionary<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Uses a predefined list of common passwords.<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Advantages\">Fast, especially with well-crafted dictionaries.<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Disadvantages\">Limited effectiveness if the password is original or rare.<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Attack Type\"><strong>Combined<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Combines two or more words from one or more dictionary files.<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Advantages\">Generates more complex combinations from simple words.<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Disadvantages\">Slower than a simple attack; requires a good database.<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Attack Type\"><strong>Hybrid<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Adds prefixes or suffixes to dictionary words (e.g., \"password2024\").<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Advantages\">Reflects human habits (adding numbers, years, symbols).<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Disadvantages\">Less effective if the password does not follow predictable patterns.<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n  <\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7ac99f9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7ac99f9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Algorithms Are Supported?<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a5499d4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a5499d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where Hashcat shines is in its <\/span><b>compatibility with over 300 <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/algorithm-what-is-it\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">algorithms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Classics like <\/span><b>MD5<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>SHA-1<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>SHA-256<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More robust ones like <\/span><b>bcrypt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><b>PBKDF2<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As well as protocols related to Wi-Fi security (<\/span><b>WPA\/WPA2<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) or cryptocurrencies.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5278200 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5278200\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter your need, Hashcat offers <\/span><b>rare versatility<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, essential for auditing any type of environment.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d75eb1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1d75eb1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_15_57.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-196249\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_15_57.png 1536w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_15_57-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_15_57-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_15_57-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-395692d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"395692d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f05ff8b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f05ff8b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">How to Install Hashcat?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b2aa1f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2b2aa1f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Technical Prerequisites (GPU, System, etc.)<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1da4de3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1da4de3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before diving into installation, it is crucial to understand what you need to run Hashcat properly. <\/span><b>Hashcat primarily leverages your<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> GPU to expedite the password recovery process. The more powerful your graphics card, the faster and more effective the software will be.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are using an <\/span><b>NVIDIA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> card, you will need to install the appropriate CUDA drivers. For <\/span><b>AMD<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the OpenCL drivers are required. Also, ensure that you have an up-to-date <\/span><b>64-bit system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with a functional terminal or command prompt.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s proceed with the installation according to your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-network-operating-system\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">operating system<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a298ce elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7a298ce\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Install Hashcat on Windows<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5365fe5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5365fe5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-windows-server\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Windows<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the installation is quite straightforward. Start by visiting the <\/span><b>official Hashcat website<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to download the latest stable version. Once the compressed file is downloaded, <\/span><b>extract it into a dedicated folder<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> using WinRAR or 7-Zip. After extracting the files, open the command prompt, navigate to the installation directory using the <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>cd<\/b><\/span> command, then run <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>hashcat.exe<\/b><\/span> to verify everything works correctly.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-04f9b06 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"04f9b06\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Install Hashcat on macOS<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ae3760c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ae3760c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-macos\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">macOS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the installation requires a bit more diligence. Apple limits low-level access to the GPU, so performance might be lower, but the tool remains functional.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start by downloading the macOS version from the official site. Then use Terminal to <\/span><b>extract and navigate into the installation folder<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you receive an error message about permissions, allow execution via <\/span><b>System Preferences &gt; Security &amp; Privacy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Finally, <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>.\/hashcat<\/b><\/span> from the terminal to launch the software.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c2d1461 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c2d1461\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Install Hashcat on Linux<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08fd69b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"08fd69b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/linux-the-preferred-os-for-developers\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Linux<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Hashcat installs easily if you follow the correct steps. After downloading the archive from the official site, use the command tar -xvf to extract the content.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the drivers are in place, navigate to the installation folder, then simply run <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>.\/hashcat<\/b><\/span> to launch the tool. You&#8217;re prepared to tackle the rest.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e187791 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e187791\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_20_50.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-196259\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_20_50.png 1536w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_20_50-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_20_50-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_20_50-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-281f5e0 elementor-align-center button-principal elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"281f5e0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/data-courses\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Getting started with Pentest<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-db0e65e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"db0e65e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dc377bd elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"dc377bd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">How to Use Hashcat Effectively?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96ea7f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"96ea7f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s move to the crucial step: <\/span><b>usage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Hashcat is powerful, but you need to know how to use it. Don&#8217;t worry; once the basics are mastered, everything becomes smooth.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20f6589 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"20f6589\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Basic Commands to Know<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf3c142 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"cf3c142\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\r\n  .responsive-table {\r\n    width: 100%;\r\n    border-collapse: collapse;\r\n    font-family: sans-serif;\r\n    margin: 20px 0;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  .responsive-table thead {\r\n    background-color: #f4f4f4;\r\n    font-weight: bold;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  .responsive-table th, .responsive-table td {\r\n    padding: 12px;\r\n    border: 1px solid #ddd;\r\n    text-align: left;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\r\n    .responsive-table thead {\r\n      display: none;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table tr {\r\n      display: block;\r\n      margin-bottom: 20px;\r\n      border-bottom: 2px solid #eee;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table td {\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-align: right;\r\n      font-size: 14px;\r\n      border: none;\r\n      border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\r\n      position: relative;\r\n      padding-left: 50%;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table td::before {\r\n      content: attr(data-label);\r\n      position: absolute;\r\n      left: 15px;\r\n      width: 45%;\r\n      padding-right: 10px;\r\n      font-weight: bold;\r\n      text-align: left;\r\n    }\r\n  }\r\n<\/style>\r\n\r\n<table class=\"responsive-table\">\r\n  <thead>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <th>Command<\/th>\r\n      <th>Description<\/th>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n  <\/thead>\r\n  <tbody>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Command\"><code>hashcat -h<\/code><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Displays the built-in help and full list of available options.<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Command\"><code>hashcat -a 0 -m 0 hash.txt rockyou.txt<\/code><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Performs a dictionary attack (mode 0) on MD5 hashes (type 0) using the <code>rockyou.txt<\/code> wordlist.<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Command\"><code>hashcat -a 3 -m 0 hash.txt ?a?a?a?a?a?a<\/code><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Executes a brute-force attack (mode 3) on MD5 hashes, testing all possible 6-character combinations.<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Command\"><code>hashcat -a 6 -m 0 hash.txt rockyou.txt ?d?d?d<\/code><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Description\">Performs a hybrid attack (mode 6) combining each dictionary word with three digits appended, simulating passwords like \"admin123\".<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n  <\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4048f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c4048f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every option has its logic. The <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>-a<\/b><\/span> defines the <\/span><b>attack mode<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (0 for dictionary, 3 for brute force, 6 for hybrid), the <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>-m<\/b><\/span> specifies the <\/span><b>hash type<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (MD5, SHA1, bcrypt\u2026), and the rest configure the files to use.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44640e8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"44640e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Concrete Examples of Usage<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5719798 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5719798\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s consider a typical case. You retrieve a file containing <\/span><b>MD5 hashes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> extracted from a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/database-what-is-it\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">database<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during an audit. You want to check if weak passwords have been used.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You run the following command:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>hashcat -a 0 -m 0 hash.txt rockyou.txt<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hashcat will then compare each hash with the words in the <\/span><b>rockyou.txt<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> file. If a match is found, you will obtain the password in clear text. This is a simple way to demonstrate that a <\/span><b>lenient password policy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can jeopardize an entire system.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another example: you suspect that users add their birth year to their passwords. You can test:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>hashcat -a 6 -m 0 hash.txt rockyou.txt ?d?d?d?d<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This hybrid attack is particularly effective in professional environments where practices are predictable.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46c6175 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"46c6175\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Optimizing Performance with GPU<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf2bd6c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bf2bd6c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To gain speed, GPU optimization is essential. First step: ensure that <\/span><b>your graphics card is properly recognized<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Hashcat. To check, use the command <span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>hashcat -I<\/b><\/span> (uppercase), which displays the available devices.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also adjust the workload using the <\/span><b>-w<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> option. For example, the command:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #339966;\"><b>hashcat -w 3 -a 0 -m 0 hash.txt rockyou.txt<\/b><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">instructs Hashcat to operate at a <\/span><b>high intensity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ideal for use on a dedicated attack machine. The higher the value of -w (from 1 to 4), the more the performance is pushed, but this can also impact the stability of your machine if it&#8217;s multitasking.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, monitor the <\/span><b>temperature of your graphics card<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Overheating could slow down or even interrupt your session. Use tools like nvidia-smi or watch sensors to keep an eye on the hardware.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cb6812c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"cb6812c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8030e1d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8030e1d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">What Are the Alternatives to Hashcat?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a03d1ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a03d1ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While <\/span><b>Hashcat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a benchmark in password cracking, it is not the only tool available. Other efficient solutions warrant your attention, especially in specific scenarios or under technical constraints. Among these, <\/span><b>John the Ripper<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">THC Hydra<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are significant contenders.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-684acd6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"684acd6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\r\n  .responsive-table {\r\n    width: 100%;\r\n    border-collapse: collapse;\r\n    font-family: sans-serif;\r\n    margin: 20px 0;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  .responsive-table thead {\r\n    background-color: #f4f4f4;\r\n    font-weight: bold;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  .responsive-table th, .responsive-table td {\r\n    padding: 12px;\r\n    border: 1px solid #ddd;\r\n    text-align: left;\r\n  }\r\n\r\n  @media (max-width: 768px) {\r\n    .responsive-table thead {\r\n      display: none;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table tr {\r\n      display: block;\r\n      margin-bottom: 20px;\r\n      border-bottom: 2px solid #eee;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table td {\r\n      display: block;\r\n      text-align: right;\r\n      font-size: 14px;\r\n      border: none;\r\n      border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\r\n      position: relative;\r\n      padding-left: 50%;\r\n    }\r\n\r\n    .responsive-table td::before {\r\n      content: attr(data-label);\r\n      position: absolute;\r\n      left: 15px;\r\n      width: 45%;\r\n      padding-right: 10px;\r\n      font-weight: bold;\r\n      text-align: left;\r\n    }\r\n  }\r\n<\/style>\r\n\r\n<table class=\"responsive-table\">\r\n  <thead>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <th>Criteria<\/th>\r\n      <th>Hashcat<\/th>\r\n      <th>John the Ripper<\/th>\r\n      <th>THC Hydra<\/th>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n  <\/thead>\r\n  <tbody>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Criteria\"><strong>Attack Type<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Hashcat\">Mainly offline<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"John the Ripper\">Offline<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"THC Hydra\">Online<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Criteria\"><strong>GPU Support<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Hashcat\">Extensive<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"John the Ripper\">Limited<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"THC Hydra\">Not applicable<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Criteria\"><strong>Hash Formats<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Hashcat\">Wide range<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"John the Ripper\">Wide range<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"THC Hydra\">Various network protocols<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Criteria\"><strong>Ease of Use<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Hashcat\">Command-line interface, requires learning curve<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"John the Ripper\">Command-line interface, requires learning curve<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"THC Hydra\">Command-line interface, requires understanding of protocols<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n    <tr>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Criteria\"><strong>Use Cases<\/strong><\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"Hashcat\">Cracking recovered hashes<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"John the Ripper\">Password auditing on various systems<\/td>\r\n      <td data-label=\"THC Hydra\">Penetration testing on active network services<\/td>\r\n    <\/tr>\r\n  <\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5be385c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5be385c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_37_56.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-196272\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_37_56.png 1536w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_37_56-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_37_56-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/files\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-8-avr.-2025-17_37_56-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0ddc109 elementor-align-center button-principal elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"0ddc109\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/data-courses\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\"> Become a cybersecurity expert<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0a5f40d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"0a5f40d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c811200 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"c811200\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">Conclusion<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fa195f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fa195f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you wish to analyze a local hash file, audit passwords on different systems, or engage in penetration testing in a real environment, ensure you use these tools within a legal, ethical, and professional context, with the explicit permission of the target organization. The aim is never to harm but to protect by identifying vulnerabilities before a malicious third party does.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a6e31c0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con\" data-id=\"a6e31c0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af111b4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"af111b4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\r\n{\r\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\r\n  \"mainEntity\": [\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n      \"name\": \"What is Hashcat?\",\r\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n        \"text\": \"Hashcat is a password recovery tool used legally by cybersecurity experts to test the robustness of passwords during penetration tests.\"\r\n      }\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n      \"name\": \"Why use Hashcat: Common use cases\",\r\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n        \"text\": \"Hashcat is used for auditing password strength, conducting penetration tests, and training cybersecurity professionals within legal and ethical boundaries.\"\r\n      }\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n      \"name\": \"How does Hashcat work?\",\r\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n        \"text\": \"Hashcat performs attacks like brute-force, dictionary, combined, and hybrid to crack hashes, each with specific advantages and limitations.\"\r\n      }\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n      \"name\": \"What algorithms are supported by Hashcat?\",\r\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n        \"text\": \"Hashcat supports over 300 algorithms including MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, bcrypt, PBKDF2, and protocols related to Wi-Fi security and cryptocurrencies.\"\r\n      }\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n      \"name\": \"How to install Hashcat?\",\r\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n        \"text\": \"Installation varies by OS; Windows requires downloading from the official site and running hashcat.exe, macOS needs permission settings, and Linux uses terminal commands with GPU drivers installed.\"\r\n      }\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n      \"name\": \"How to use Hashcat effectively?\",\r\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n        \"text\": \"Basic commands include using attack modes (-a), specifying hash types (-m), and configuring wordlists or masks; examples include dictionary and hybrid attacks.\"\r\n      }\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n      \"name\": \"What are the alternatives to Hashcat?\",\r\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\r\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\r\n        \"text\": \"Alternatives include John the Ripper and THC Hydra, with different focuses such as offline or online attacks and varying GPU support.\"\r\n      }\r\n    }\r\n  ]\r\n}\r\n<\/script>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you wondering how cybersecurity experts test the strength of passwords? To understand this, you need to know what a hash is: a unique, unreadable fingerprint that protects passwords without storing them in plain text. However, when these fingerprints fall into the wrong hands, specialized software can attempt to crack them. This is where Hashcat [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":196237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[2426],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.7 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hashcat: Description, Operation, and Usage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how Hashcat works, the ethical hacking tool for cracking passwords and enhancing the security of your systems.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/datascientest.com\/en\/all-about-hashcat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hashcat: Description, Operation, and Usage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you wondering how cybersecurity experts test the strength of passwords? 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