Rainbow Table Attack – What is it? How Does it Work?

May 9, 2023 By Nancy William No Comments 6 minutes

What is a Rainbow Table Attack? How does it work? Are they brutal? This guide will highlight everything there is to know about rainbow table attacks and how to prevent them.

Rainbow Table Attack

In short, a rainbow table attack is a cyberattack that targets passwords. It is a method used to crack password hashes in a database using a unique table known as the “rainbow table.” We understand that all passwords stored on applications or stored online are never in plaintext. Instead, you will find that all the passcodes are stored in hash form as a method of encryption.

As soon as you enter a password, it gets converted to hashes, and then you will need to re-enter the same password as a form of authentication. These passwords can easily be hacked or compromised at times using a rainbow attack.

In this guide, we will highlight what a rainbow attack is, and how it works. If you’re looking to prevent rainbow table attacks, there is one main method called “Salting” among many others.

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What is a Rainbow Table Attack?

As mentioned above, a rainbow table attack is a type of cyberattack that cracks passwords. This kind of cyberattack takes place to decipher password hashes that are stored in a database.

Cybercriminals or hackers are now using this method, which gives them easy access to decrypt passwords. This way, they can easily access your system and get access to your data and more.

The rainbow table attack approach is preferred more compared to the brute force and dictionary attack methods. This is because dictionary attacks take up larger portions of memory, while brute force attacks take on larger computing power.

How do hackers pull through with it? It’s simple for them. They only need to check the rainbow table to be able to detect the users’ password hash. This method of attack is preferred because of the less computing power it takes.

Rainbow table attacks perform effectively and produce quicker results when or if compared to brute force and dictionary attacks. In short, a Rainbow table attack only takes a few minutes to crack passwords. Now, we move on to some examples of rainbow table attacks.

Examples of a Rainbow Table Attack

If you’re wondering how a cybercriminal can compromise your passwords, here are a few examples of a rainbow table attack:

It’s always recommended to use newer and stronger passwords. If the perpetrator notes that you’re using an outdated app or even an old passcode, that too for multiple accounts, it’s easier to induce a rainbow table attack. They dig through the database and decrypt all password hashes.
Any company’s Active Directory can be a target of rainbow table attack implementation. Once the hacker has access to it, they can inherently access all password hashes. Once all the password hashes are compromised or stolen, the cyberhacker can induce a rainbow table attack.

Even though these attacks are common, the best way to fix them is through a method called “salting.” Although, that is only one way of preventing rainbow table attacks. We’ll get to that further on, but for now, take a look below to see how rainbow table attacks work.

How Does a Rainbow Table Attack Work?

So, we know what a rainbow table attack is and the examples of it, so how does a rainbow attack work?

To work, a hacker needs to gain access and control of any, and every leaked hashed password. Once compromised, a rainbow attack is induced. This is usually the case when a password database is not secured well enough, or the cyber attacker gains Active Directory access. Another reason how rainbow table attacks work is when they gain control through various phishing techniques to gain access to the password database that they have access to.

Other than this, did you know how there are numerous leaked password hashes on the internet? Hackers can probably find them on the dark web every time users enter a password or sign up for an unknown service.

When any password hash is compromised, a rainbow table attack is set in place. However, this will not be the case if the passcode hashes are salted.

How Do You Prevent a Rainbow Table Attack?

Even though rainbow attacks are on the rise and the impact large, there are still some steps you can take to prevent these attacks. Without further delay, here are 6 of the best methods you can use to prevent or protect yourself from rainbow table attacks, starting with the best method:

1. Salting

Whenever you store or create a hashed password, it should never be created without salting. This makes it difficult for anyone to decrypt the passcode. What is password salting? Well, in short, when you create a password, for example, “tree,” salting the password would turn to treeEA328GHzx. When it is hashed and entered into the database, the salted passcode changes to a string of 32+ characters.

2. Biometric Authentication

Another way to ensure that the rainbow table attack does not plague your passwords is by using biometric authentication methods. This is one of the other main attack prevention methods. It will take longer or will be extremely difficult for any cyber attacker to invade that database.

3. Use a VPN Software

Another way to prevent or slow down the course of rainbow table attacks is using VPN software. Virtual Private Networks allow you to encrypt your connection, prevent data logging and protect your passwords from any leaks or compromisation.

4. Prevent Old Hashing Algorithms

Just like creating new and stronger passwords is recommended, using updated password hashing algorithms is needed. If any apps or servers are using older models like SHA1, the risk of rainbow table attacks increases immensely.

5. Lesser Passwords, the Better

If there are any obsolete password hashes stored in the database, there is no point in keeping them around. The more password hashes stored, the more prone they are to be targeted by rainbow table attacks.

6. Surveillance Your Servers

Ensure that you are using modern server security monitors. They help fight against any attempts made to access sensitive or private information. With that, it can immediately prevent intruders from reaching the password database.

FAQs - Rainbow Table Attack

How does a rainbow table attack work?

This kind of attack uses a specific table known as the rainbow table that cracks vulnerable or weak password hashes.

What is a rainbow table attack in cybersecurity?

In cybersecurity, a rainbow table is a hacking software. It utilizes a pre-computed table that already contains pre-hashed passwords that are used to crack other passcodes in the database.

Which tool is used for rainbow table attacks?

There are a lot of tools used for this kind of cyberattack. You can call “RCRACK,” one of those tools that crack passwords using rainbow tables.

Is the rainbow table a brute force attack?

No, they’re different. However, the main difference between a rainbow table and a brute force attack is that the rainbow table consists of precomputed passwords that crack passwords. The latter, brute force attack, comes with no pre-computed data, especially when it is about to be initiated.

What is the difference between a table vs a dictionary attack?

There are some differences between Rainbow table attacks and dictionary attacks. However, the major difference between the two of them is that dictionary attacks utilize a word list while Rainbow has a rainbow table and take up less computing power, which means faster results.

To Conclude

And that’s a wrap! You now know a little more about what a rainbow table attack is, how it works, its examples, and how to prevent this attack from happening. Rainbow table attacks are crucial; however, with the right strategy, you can easily take preventive measures against them.