<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
<!-- NERF is a trademark of defconxt. -->
---
name: building-custom-wordlists
description: >-
  Build custom targeted wordlists using OSINT data, organizational intelligence, and linguistic rules to maximize cracking success rates.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: password-cracking
tags:
  - wordlist
  - cewl
  - cupp
  - osint
  - targeted-attack
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1110.002"]
  cwe: ["CWE-521"]
  tools: ["CeWL", "CUPP", "Mentalist", "crunch", "TTPassGen"]
---

# Building Custom Wordlists

## Overview

Build custom targeted wordlists using OSINT data, organizational intelligence, and linguistic rules to maximize cracking success rates.

## Prerequisites

| Tool / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| `CeWL` | Security tooling |
| `CUPP` | Security tooling |
| `Mentalist` | Security tooling |
| `crunch` | Security tooling |
| `TTPassGen` | 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
# Scrape website for words
cewl -d 3 -m 6 -w wordlist.txt https://target.com

# Generate profiled wordlist
cupp -i  # interactive profiling

# Create pattern-based wordlist
crunch 8 12 -t @@@@%%%% -o custom.txt

# Combine and deduplicate
cat wordlist1.txt wordlist2.txt | sort -u > combined.txt

# Apply hashcat rules to expand
hashcat --stdout wordlist.txt -r best64.rule > expanded.txt
```

## Workflow

### Step 1: Preparation and Reconnaissance

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

# Set up working directory
mkdir -p /tmp/building-custom-wordlists/{output,logs,artifacts}
```

### Step 2: Primary Analysis

```bash
# Execute primary analysis with CeWL
# Refer to Quick Reference above for detailed commands
echo "[*] Running Building Custom Wordlists with CeWL..."

# Log all operations
script -q /tmp/building-custom-wordlists/logs/session.log
```

### Step 3: Deep Investigation

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

# Cross-reference findings
diff /tmp/building-custom-wordlists/output/primary.json /tmp/building-custom-wordlists/output/secondary.json
```

### Step 4: Documentation and Reporting

```bash
# Generate structured findings report
cat <<'EOF' > /tmp/building-custom-wordlists/output/report.json
{
  "technique": "building-custom-wordlists",
  "domain": "password-cracking",
  "tools_used": ["CeWL", "CUPP"],
  "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
- [CeWL Documentation](https://cewl.org/) — Primary tooling
- [CUPP Reference](https://cupp.org/) — Secondary tooling
