All Questions
104 questions
1
vote
1
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84
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What is the logic of using numbers for Windows PIN?
Windows 10 and 11 have an authentication method based on entering a lower complexity code under certain circumstances. This is widely referred to as a PIN, indicating that these are widely thought of ...
- 375
9
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Does Windows 11 PIN Behavior Break Password Security Conventions?
Building on the theme presented in this previous question, does Window's current PIN input userflow break standard password security practices?
Behavior: When the user inputs the correct number of ...
- 193
2
votes
2
answers
118
views
Is the Windows Password that's Used for Window Encryption available to Microsoft?
How does Windows manage passwords used for whole disk encryption? Is the password linked to the Windows account in a way where Microsoft has access to the password and thus a legal obligation to ...
- 1,956
0
votes
0
answers
20
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Is the Windows PIN sign-in option good protection in case of device theft? [duplicate]
I've been hearing stories about people suffering apartment break-ins. This made me think about what might be stolen from my apartment if something similar happened, and the desktop computer certainly ...
0
votes
1
answer
859
views
How is a Windows Active Directory Machine Account Password stored in Windows/Samba Clients?
It's said that a Windows Machine Account Password is usually composed of 120 characters in UTF-16-LE format. But when looking at the value stored in the Windows Registry under HKLM\SECURITY\Policy\...
- 101
5
votes
1
answer
6k
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What tools currently allow to retrieve Windows 10/11 password hashes, given admin rights or physical access to unencrypted disks?
I was wondering what Windows/Linux/Live tools allow to retrieve user password hashes of modern 2021 Win10/11 installations. I am not sure if password storage differs in these cases (e.g. different ...
- 173
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How does Windows password protect my data?
As far as I know, Windows computers are not encrypted by default in case you are not signed into a Microsoft Account. Considering the aforementioned fact I cannot understand the purpose of the login ...
0
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2
answers
446
views
How do I secure SQL passwords when distributing executables?
Environment
I am creating a python application which writes to SQL.
It is compiled into an .exe and distributed to other computers in the business.
(Edit: The SQL server is hosted by our business, ...
0
votes
1
answer
795
views
Hacked list of AD logins and passwords
An organization my friend works for was recently hacked, and the hackers published a file with over 100,000 names and passwords, including theirs. An IT person in the organization told me that the ...
- 101
0
votes
0
answers
451
views
What are security risks of a domain user accounts with denied interactive logon?
When I create domain user account with denied interactive logon, what are real security risks when hacker gets the password?
http://paulasitblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/deny-interactive-logon-for-service....
1
vote
1
answer
287
views
Why do administrators create passwords vulnerable to kerberoasting? [closed]
I was researching a kerberoasting attack on the Active Directory domain. To create the stand, I used a Domain Controller on Windows Server 2016 and one client machine on Windows 10. SQL Server was ...
- 13
0
votes
1
answer
304
views
How does the Windows 10 picture password work?
I have been researching on how Windows 10 built their picture password, but there is not much content online.
Can anyone here help explain how the picture authentication system in windows 10 works?
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
243
views
Secure Windows 10 Home admin's data behind a password, even when user apps are running
Windows 10 Home's default account lock system for the admin account is not completely secure because there are multiple free password recovery tools & ways available that can be used by a non-...
- 61
0
votes
2
answers
524
views
Preventing Users from Using QR Code Password and Scanner for Authentication [duplicate]
A user was discovered using a QR code to log into a PC. Apparently, the password was put into a QR code generator and printed. The user:
Provides their username
Scans the QR code with a handheld ...
user225868
1
vote
0
answers
105
views
Can the cost factor be changed of Windows' credential cache?
I'm having a hard time finding relevant documentation from Microsoft (or any third party, for that matter) about any registry key that may change the cost factor of cached credentials.
One can ...
- 33.1k
2
votes
3
answers
233
views
Windows Account Password Resetting process for large network
I am working on large windows based network environment (Active Directory) and I have a requirement of implementing clear and secure password reset process for windows user. Especially management ...
- 655
1
vote
2
answers
1k
views
Securely editing encrypted text files
My method for editing encrypted text files is to decrypt them in a RAM drive, edit them, and then encrypt them.
What I'm worried about is information from my text files being transferred to non-...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
604
views
Linux and Windows Password Security Settings
I'm asking a client why some password parameters are not defined in the Linux OS level and he's saying that, internally, Linux and Windows complexity and timeout settings are different. If they set ...
- 11
64
votes
3
answers
17k
views
Why does Windows store Wi-Fi passwords in a reversible format?
Running
netsh wlan export profile key=clear
in PowerShell will dump your current stored Wi-Fi settings, including the password, into xml files inside of whatever directory you are currently in.
Why ...
- 741
-1
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How do keyloggers tell it's a password? (And how to fool them.)
This question also applies to clipboard monitoring.
Imagine you are planning to deploy 100,000 copies of a Windows trojan with keylogger functionality. (For the record, I'm not talking about myself ...
- 139
1
vote
1
answer
297
views
Do non-administrator Windows accounts need strong passwords?
I have always used long passphrases for my own Windows user accounts. But I know some people who use moderately common passwords (we'll say they're in the top 1,000 most used passwords, but not in the ...
- 2,430
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How long are password hashes stored locally?
Suppose Alice logs into Windows machine M (which is part of an enterprise network managed through Active Directory). My understanding is that M will contact the domain controller to get Alice's ...
- 100k
0
votes
3
answers
2k
views
is it a standard best practice to *display* the last-logged-in user by default on an individual employee laptop?
My new workplace laptop is configured so that after I log off and log on, rather than the last-logged-in user being selected by default, I have to hit ctrl-alt-del and then enter my username and ...
- 653
23
votes
3
answers
9k
views
How to bypass password on Windows XP account? [closed]
I have an old ThinkPad R40 family laptop running Windows XP lying around and there's an account on it that has a password and it gave me a hint and I put everything I could possibly think in there and ...
- 247
2
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Can a Windows 10 Local Account password be retrieved
I have heard that Windows (10) local accounts are not that secure. I am however particularly wondering whether the password can be retrieved using any tools.
So I am not talking about resetting it ...
user198611
8
votes
1
answer
586
views
Kerberos Attacks Questions
It's amazing how many "Attacks on Kerberos" articles exist out there and almost none really explains the small details.
My guess is that usually they assume it's basic knowledge and sometimes, they ...
6
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Are passwords for Windows accounts always stored in cleartext in memory, while the account is logged on?
Are passwords for Windows accounts always stored in cleartext in memory, while the account is logged on?
Using Mimikatz I've seen lots of examples where passwords are stored in memory, either for ...
- 1,297
0
votes
1
answer
549
views
can malware operate on the login screen of windows 10? [duplicate]
Can malware record your keystrokes on the login screen of Windows 10?
Or only after the login screen?
I ask this because sometimes I enter my credential of another distro by mistake.
- 53
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
When running shell scripts, is it safer to pass sensitive information using stdin or as a string option?
I'm building a number of automated scripts that will run within an encrypted environment (full disk encryption).
Many commands in both Windows and *nix have two ways of entering sensitive information ...
- 233
1
vote
1
answer
7k
views
Using Windows LSA Hashes obtained from crackmapexec
I have obtained some hashes using crackmapexec and dumping from the LSA process. The hashes are in this form (data below is fake):
adm_name:c6f132a235209036744ba5d303bd5d9b:SOME.ORGANISATION.COM:...
- 439
9
votes
1
answer
30k
views
Decrypting SAM hive after Windows 10 anniversary update?
After a lot of frustration, I've finally cracked my local Windows 10 password using mimikatz to extract the proper NTLM hash.
In particular, samdump2 decrypted the SAM hive into a list of users with &...
- 1,297
9
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Replacing cached domain credentials in SECURITY hive
Windows stores the (NTLM) hashes of local users' passwords in the SAM hive. By booting from a live system (for example), one can not only extract those hashes for offline cracking, but also simply ...
- 1,069
7
votes
2
answers
24k
views
Recover the password of a Windows service user login account
When setting up a Windows service, one specifies a user account to use for authentication, as well as the password for that user. In their guidelines for user account selection, Microsoft states that ...
- 173
0
votes
3
answers
500
views
How many people am I sharing my computer with?
I believe I am the only person using my computer. Is there any way to definitively (securely) tell?
I have a Windows (7) laptop on a Wireless Network with a reasonably cryptic password, but I close ...
- 109
3
votes
1
answer
977
views
Are encrypted files safe in Windows 10 when using PINs?
In Secrets and Lies, Bruce Schneier writes:
Many keys are generated from passwords or passphrases. A system that
accepts 10-character ASCII passwords might require 80 bits to represent,
but has ...
- 4,824
1
vote
1
answer
171
views
PTH & Salted Passwords
I see a lot of documentation out there blaming PtH on Windows operating systems to the unsalted nature of LM/NT hashes.
Isn't this conjecture wrong? Introducing salting (if the salt is deterministic /...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
1k
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WDigest password stored in cleartext - Windows
A well known security-vulnerability in Windows (up until Windows 8.0) is that the WDigest password is stored in cleartext and can be extracted by using Mimikatz.
I found out that this password is in ...
- 183
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What harm is there in obtaining password hashes in a Windows environment?
ArsTechnica posted this article recently talking about how the power grid has been penetrated:
Hackers lie in wait after penetrating US and Europe power grid networks
Excerpt:
One tactic involved ...
- 977
0
votes
1
answer
336
views
OneDrive: How can Windows Security's "Remember my credentials" feature be misused?
Here I'm entering credentials for OneDrive:
If I check Remember my credentials, I assume that malicious code running as my user account can get access to some token and use that to interact with ...
- 123
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
External HDD safety without Full disc encryption
I am not very informed when it comes to disk security but interested to learn more ( so please if it seems like i am misunderstanding some concepts point me to the right reading material )
I've got ...
- 177
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Inject hash into sam file. Is possible?
I have a very uncommon scenario. I have a Windows 10 laptop with a specific configuration. On that configuration, there is a user (local user, not domain user) which I don't know its password. I want ...
- 5,365
2
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Can I prevent Active Directory from accepting common passwords? [closed]
Active Directory's complexity requirements are rudimentary and I suspect this specific part of Windows security hasn't been improved in a decade or more.
Is there a built-in or 3rd party tool ...
- 153
2
votes
1
answer
174
views
UAC or logging into admin account first before installing software?
When installing software on a standard user account, is it safer to use the UAC pop up to type the admin password into, or switch user to admin then do the install in that user?
- 157
15
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4
answers
88k
views
Bypassing Windows 10 password with Utilman.exe trick - fixed?
Recently I run into a locked down laptop with Windows 10 OS (actually I guess it was updated from Windows 7 if that matters). My collegue was using this computer some time ago and lost his login and ...
- 383
9
votes
2
answers
115k
views
Is there any way of getting current user's password in Windows 10?
I'm trying to find a way of getting my current user password in plain text, is it possible?
I've seen here a way of doing it on Win7 but it's not working for Win10.
If it's not, could I, at least, ...
- 2,394
0
votes
1
answer
321
views
Why don't security systems prevent against password incrementing?
A lot of users, myself included, increment the last digits of a password when it is required to be changed on a regular basis - e.g. 30/60/90 days.
Regardless of whether forced password changes are ...
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
299
views
Why Microsoft leaves known security flaws?
There is very well known security flaw in microsoft windows. That you simle boot a linux OS from flash drive e.g Kali Linux. And just replace a cmd file with sethc file and you can prompt cmd with ...
- 165
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does typing something in Notepad but not saving it leave any trace?
Sometimes, if I'm having trouble typing a long password, I'll open up Notepad, type it in there (so I can make sure what I'm typing is correct), and then copy+paste it into the form, and then close ...
- 207
6
votes
2
answers
12k
views
How can Windows 10 not have the password in memory?
I have read that Windows 10 does not hold the password in memory from the creator of mimikatz:
Starting with 8.x and 10, by default, there is no password in memory.
Exceptions:
When DC is/are ...
- 127
4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How do I protect my passwords from WebBrowserPassView?
I just got shocked with what can be achieved with WebBrowserPassView. It basically shows every password I've saved in my browser (Chrome).
I guess other users on my PC could get my passwords that ...
- 141