What is Password Spraying?
Weak passwords are common, as people often create predictable passwords. Moreover, individuals frequently reuse the same password across multiple accounts. This makes it easier for hackers to use a technique called “password spraying”. In this attack, hackers try several commonly stolen passwords on multiple Internet accounts. This is different from a brute force attack, which tests multiple passwords against a single account. Password sprinkling is effective because it takes very few passwords to work against many accounts.
Let’s take an example
- A hacker might have a list of usernames from a social media platform. They could try a common password like “password123” on all of these usernames. If just a few people use this weak password, the hacker gains access to their accounts.
- Let’s take another example, an attacker might also try to break into an email provider’s accounts. They could use a list of common passwords on all of the known email addresses at the provider. If even a small percentage of people use those passwords, the hacker could gain access to many email accounts.
Working on Password Spraying
- Attackers identify a target organization or system, often using publicly available information like email addresses or usernames.
- They choose a set of commonly used passwords or passwords likely to be used within the target organization. These passwords could be based on common patterns, company names, or easily guessable variations of commonly used words.
- The attacker then attempts to authenticate using each username and the chosen password. They might use automated tools or scripts to carry out this process efficiently.
- Following a successful cyberattack, the attacker gains control of user accounts. These accounts can then be exploited to steal sensitive data, deploy malicious software, and launch additional attacks within the victim’s network.
In Password Spraying, the attacker tries the password against many user accounts, a hacker can perform this task with multiple passwords but will repeat this pattern, suppose it fails with all passwords, then the attacker will change the password and repeat the same thing and try to log in across several usernames.
Difference Between Password Spraying and Dictionary Attack
Cybercriminals can attack systems through password spraying or dictionary attacks, but they also do so in different ways. Password spraying attempts to break into multiple accounts using a few common passwords, while dictionary attacks use a list of many possible passwords against a single account. The attacker aims to find accounts with weak passwords, thus avoiding detection from account lockout mechanisms. But a dictionary attack involves trying every word in a predetermined list (the “dictionary”) as a password for one or more user accounts. This method is more exhaustive and systematic compared to password spraying.
Both techniques aim to control weak or commonly used passwords to gain unauthorized access. Yet password spraying is less likely to trigger account lockouts and can be effective against organizations with loose password policies. On the other hand, a dictionary attack requires more computational resources but can potentially uncover stronger passwords that may not be included in common password lists.
To defend against these attacks, organizations should implement the following:
- Strong password policies
- Encourage the use of multi-factor authentication
- Regularly update systems
- Employ security measures like account lockout policies and intrusion detection systems
Now, let’s understand each in detail, and then conclude how they both are different from each other: