<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
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---
name: performing-rainbow-table-attacks
description: >-
  Perform rainbow table attacks using precomputed hash chains for rapid password recovery against unsalted hash databases.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: password-cracking
tags:
  - rainbow-tables
  - precomputation
  - hash-chains
  - rtgen
  - lookup
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1110.002"]
  cwe: ["CWE-916"]
  tools: ["RainbowCrack", "ophcrack", "rtgen", "rtsort", "rcrack"]
---

# Performing Rainbow Table Attacks

## Overview

Perform rainbow table attacks using precomputed hash chains for rapid password recovery against unsalted hash databases.

## Prerequisites

| Tool / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| `RainbowCrack` | Security tooling |
| `ophcrack` | Security tooling |
| `rtgen` | Security tooling |
| `rtsort` | Security tooling |
| `rcrack` | Security tooling |
| Isolated lab environment for testing | Environment requirement |
| Authorization and signed Rules of Engagement (RoE) | Environment requirement |
| Relevant target samples or systems acquired through authorized channels | Environment requirement |

## Quick Reference

```bash
# Generate rainbow table
rtgen md5 loweralpha-numeric 1 8 0 3800 33554432 0

# Sort rainbow table
rtsort *.rt

# Lookup hashes
rcrack /path/to/tables/ -h 5d41402abc4b2a76b9719d911017c592

# Ophcrack for Windows hashes
ophcrack -t /usr/share/ophcrack/tables/ -f hashes.txt
```

## Workflow

### Step 1: Preparation and Reconnaissance

```bash
# Identify target and gather initial intelligence
file ./target_sample
rainbowcrack --version 2>/dev/null || echo "Install RainbowCrack"

# Set up working directory
mkdir -p /tmp/performing-rainbow-table-attacks/{output,logs,artifacts}
```

### Step 2: Primary Analysis

```bash
# Execute primary analysis with RainbowCrack
# Refer to Quick Reference above for detailed commands
echo "[*] Running Performing Rainbow Table Attacks with RainbowCrack..."

# Log all operations
script -q /tmp/performing-rainbow-table-attacks/logs/session.log
```

### Step 3: Deep Investigation

```bash
# Apply ophcrack for secondary analysis
echo "[*] Deep investigation with ophcrack..."

# Cross-reference findings
diff /tmp/performing-rainbow-table-attacks/output/primary.json /tmp/performing-rainbow-table-attacks/output/secondary.json
```

### Step 4: Documentation and Reporting

```bash
# Generate structured findings report
cat <<'EOF' > /tmp/performing-rainbow-table-attacks/output/report.json
{
  "technique": "performing-rainbow-table-attacks",
  "domain": "password-cracking",
  "tools_used": ["RainbowCrack", "ophcrack"],
  "findings": [],
  "recommendations": []
}
EOF
```

## Verification

- [ ] Environment and tools verified and operational
- [ ] Target samples acquired through authorized channels
- [ ] Primary analysis completed with findings documented
- [ ] Secondary validation performed with independent tooling
- [ ] All artifacts preserved in structured output directory
- [ ] Detection opportunities documented for blue team

## References

- [MITRE ATT&CK T1110.002](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1110/002) — Related technique
- [RainbowCrack Documentation](https://rainbowcrack.org/) — Primary tooling
- [ophcrack Reference](https://ophcrack.org/) — Secondary tooling
