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Swiss Researchers Exploit Windows Password Flaw

Bueller_007 writes "CNET is carrying an article about a new (albeit simplistic) method used to hack alphanumeric Windows passwords in a matter of seconds, rather than minutes. To blame is a 'weakness in Microsoft's method of encoding passwords.' According to the authors, the same method, when used on Mac OS X, Unix and Linux boxes, however, could require either 4,096 times more memory or 4,096 times longer." A few more details: Mister.de writes "As an example we have implemented an attack on MS-Windows password hashes. Using 1.4GB of data (two CD-ROMs) we can crack 99.9% of all alphanumerical passwords hashes (2 37 ) in 13.6 seconds whereas it takes 101 seconds with the current approach using distinguished points. We show that the gain could be even much higher depending on the parameters used. This was found at the Cryptography and Security Laboratory of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)."

11 of 519 comments (clear)

  1. fristicus pisticus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You know it makes sense.

  2. yay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I got fisrt post

  3. Suggestion for Microsoft: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Join the GNAA - Today!

  4. How Linux can defeat Bill Gates and Micro$oft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Hi,

    I've always used Windowz and I consider myself an exceptional Visual
    Basic programmer, so I know computers pretty good. In fact I got an A-
    in my programming class last term. But I'm a little wary of how much
    power Microsoft has in the computer field. Many of my friends use
    RedHat and I've recently installed it on my machine at home. Although
    I haven't had as much chance to play with it as I'd like, I've been
    greatly impressed.

    This weekend I gave some thoughts to the things that are wrong with
    Linux. I hope no one minds having some flaws pointed out. I'd like to
    help make RedHat stronger so it can conquer MS. Hopefully RedHat will
    hear this (crossing fingers) and address these. I think with a little
    effort, RedHat's Linux can defeat Microsoft's Windows! :)

    To begin with, there are too many different flavors of RedHat.
    Browsing a list on Amazon, I saw they made varients under the
    codenames of Mandrake, Debian and Slackware, just to name a few. I
    know that I'm very new to RedHat so maybe this is obvious but it seems
    like RedHat should just sell a few different flavors of its operating
    system. Perhaps one for the desktop and one for a server? Could
    someone explain why RedHat produces dozens of different versions of
    Linux?

    Secondly did you know that anyone can view the source code to Linux! I
    think that RedHat shouldn't make its code available. After all, what
    keeps Microsoft from stealing RedHat's ideas and putting it into
    Windows? My friend says that FreeBSD stole the TCP/IP stack from DOS a
    long time ago and Microsoft is always looking for revenge for that.
    Plus it seems to me like RedHat is just giving away its ideas for
    free. And what keeps hackers or terrorists from tampering with the
    code and putting a virus in every computer?

    On a related note, why doesn't RedHat write Linux in assembly? My
    friend says that's what Microsoft does for Windows, and that's why
    Windows is faster and more stable than Linux.

    Next RedHat definitely should kill -9 (ha, ha!) the command line.
    Microsoft finally gave up DOS when Windows 2000 came out. I'm suprised
    that RedHat hasn't migrated away from...whatever its version of DOS is
    called (Bash, I think?) But maybe this is planned for a future
    release?

    Finally Linux needs games! RedHat will never be successful in the home
    without games. They should also tell M$ to release a version of Office
    for Linux too. And Internet Explorer!

    Have a nice day! Go Linux!!

    1. Re:How Linux can defeat Bill Gates and Micro$oft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      LOL u are so LOL, just stay on windows l33t visual basic programmer. Dont stop using windows, u serve linux community

  5. Re:Yawn... by Scoria · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    No, it isn't quite Thursday yet. The moderators are merely attempting to prepare for tomorrow. ;-)

    --
    Do you like German cars?
  6. Re:This is why... by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    All you need is gelatin ;-)

    --
  7. my root password is sporksex by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Now haxor me fuckheads!

  8. Re:Surprise Surprise by Trelane,+the+Squire · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    or, considering the state of the government, kill the messenger and institute a program to eliminate everyone who knows about the hack...

  9. Original Source by gandalf013 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Original post on Google Groups. People might like other posts by Egg Troll too.

  10. Re:Company Memo: New security procedures. by ceejayoz · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Jane Roe: Roe v. Wade was a fraud

    Judge: I don't give a shit if your opinion on the matter changed when you became a fundie, the legal basis for the decision remains. STFU.