KrakenHashes Glossary¶
This glossary provides definitions for terms used throughout the KrakenHashes system, organized by category.
Password Cracking Terminology¶
A-Z¶
Association Attack: Hashcat attack mode (-a 9) that tests password candidates against hashes in a 1:1 line-by-line mapping. Hash on line N is tested only against candidate on line N. Useful for targeted attacks with user-specific password intelligence. (v1.4.0+)
Association Wordlist: A wordlist specifically designed for association attacks where each line corresponds to a specific hash in the target hashlist, maintaining line-order correspondence. Line count must exactly match the hashlist hash count. (v1.4.0+)
Attack Mode: The method used by hashcat to attempt password recovery. Common modes include dictionary attack (-a 0), combinator attack (-a 1), brute-force/mask attack (-a 3), hybrid attacks (-a 6, -a 7), and association attack (-a 9).
Benchmark: A test run to measure the cracking speed (hashes per second) of specific hardware against various hash algorithms.
Brute Force Attack: An attack method that systematically tries all possible character combinations within a defined character set and length range.
Candidate: A potential password generated during the cracking process that will be tested against the target hash.
Charset: A defined set of characters used in mask or brute-force attacks (e.g., ?l = lowercase, ?u = uppercase, ?d = digits, ?s = special characters).
Combinator Attack: An attack that combines words from two wordlists to create password candidates (e.g., "password" + "123" = "password123").
Cracked Hash: A hash that has been successfully reversed to reveal its plaintext password.
Dictionary Attack: An attack using a wordlist of common passwords and variations to attempt hash cracking.
Hash: A one-way cryptographic function output that represents a password. Common types include MD5, SHA1, SHA256, bcrypt, and NTLM.
Hash Algorithm: The specific cryptographic function used to create a hash (e.g., MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, bcrypt, scrypt, Argon2).
Hash Rate: The speed at which password candidates are tested, measured in hashes per second (H/s), kilohashes/s (KH/s), megahashes/s (MH/s), or gigahashes/s (GH/s).
Hashcat: The underlying password recovery tool used by KrakenHashes for distributed cracking operations.
Hashlist: A collection of password hashes to be cracked, typically organized by source, client, or campaign.
Hybrid Attack: An attack combining wordlist entries with masks or rules to generate password candidates.
Increment Mode: A hashcat feature that automatically runs mask attacks for each length from a minimum to maximum value. KrakenHashes decomposes increment mode into discrete layers for distributed processing. See Increment Mode Architecture.
Increment Inverse: Variant of increment mode that processes masks from longest to shortest instead of shortest to longest. Useful when longer passwords are more likely.
Increment Layer: A sub-component of an increment mode job representing one specific mask length. Each layer is scheduled and tracked independently, enabling parallel processing across multiple agents.
Keyspace: The total number of possible password combinations for a given attack configuration.
Mask: A pattern defining the structure of passwords to generate in a mask attack (e.g., ?u?l?l?l?d?d?d?d for Abcd1234 format).
Mask Attack: A targeted brute-force approach using patterns to generate password candidates based on known password structures.
Password Candidate: A potential password being tested against a hash during the cracking process.
Plaintext: The original, unencrypted password that produces a given hash.
Potfile: A file storing previously cracked hashes and their plaintext passwords to avoid redundant work.
Rainbow Table: Pre-computed tables of hash-to-plaintext mappings (not used by hashcat/KrakenHashes).
Rule: A transformation applied to wordlist entries to generate password variants (e.g., appending numbers, capitalizing letters, character substitution).
Rule Splitting: KrakenHashes feature that divides large rule files into chunks for distributed processing across multiple agents.
Salt: Random data added to passwords before hashing to prevent identical passwords from producing identical hashes.
Wordlist: A file containing potential passwords, one per line, used as input for dictionary attacks.
System Architecture Terms¶
A-Z¶
Agent: A compute node running the KrakenHashes agent software that executes hashcat jobs and reports results to the backend.
Agent Pool: A group of agents that can be assigned to work together on jobs.
API Key: Authentication credential used by agents to communicate with the backend server.
Backend: The central KrakenHashes server that manages jobs, stores data, and coordinates agent activities.
Claim Code: A one-time voucher code used to register new agents with the system.
Client: In KrakenHashes context, a customer or engagement for which password cracking services are performed.
Chunk: A portion of work (keyspace segment or rule subset) assigned to an individual agent for processing.
Chunking: The process of dividing large cracking jobs into smaller segments for distributed processing.
Data Retention: Policies and mechanisms for automatically removing old data based on configured time periods.
FIFO Mode: First-In-First-Out agent overflow allocation mode where the oldest job at the same priority receives all overflow agents beyond max_agents limits. Default allocation mode in KrakenHashes.
Heartbeat: Regular status updates sent by agents to the backend to indicate they are alive and processing.
Job: A single password cracking task with specific parameters, wordlists, rules, and target hashes.
Job Execution: An instance of a job being run, which may involve multiple agents and chunks.
Job Template: A reusable job configuration that can be applied to different hashlists.
Job Workflow: A sequence of jobs designed to implement a comprehensive attack strategy.
Max Agents: Maximum number of agents a job can use simultaneously. Respected for jobs at the same priority; overridden when a job has higher priority than all others.
Max Agents Override: Behavior where higher priority jobs receive ALL available agents regardless of their max_agents setting, ensuring critical work completes as fast as possible.
Mixed Work Factors: A condition where hashes in a hashlist have different computational cost parameters (e.g., bcrypt hashes with varying cost values like \(2a\)10$ vs \(2a\)12$). This prevents association attacks since hash order may not be preserved during processing. (v1.4.0+)
Overflow Agents: Agents available beyond the max_agents limits of jobs at the same priority. Distributed according to the agent overflow allocation mode (FIFO or round-robin).
Overflow Allocation Mode: System setting that controls how overflow agents are distributed among jobs at the same priority. Options: FIFO (oldest job gets all) or round-robin (distributed evenly).
Preset: Pre-configured job templates or workflows for common attack scenarios.
Repository Pattern: Software design pattern used in KrakenHashes for database access abstraction.
Round-Robin Mode: Agent overflow allocation mode where overflow agents are distributed evenly among all jobs at the same priority, ensuring balanced progress across multiple jobs.
Service Layer: Business logic layer in the backend that processes requests between handlers and repositories.
WebSocket: Protocol used for real-time bidirectional communication between agents and the backend.
Work Directory: Temporary directory where agents store files and data during job execution.
Work Factor: The computational cost parameter in certain hash algorithms (e.g., bcrypt cost, scrypt N/r/p parameters, Argon2 memory/iterations). Higher work factors increase the time required to compute each hash, making password cracking slower. (v1.4.0+)
Security and Authentication Terms¶
A-Z¶
2FA/MFA: Two-Factor/Multi-Factor Authentication requiring multiple verification methods for user login.
Access Token: Short-lived JWT token used for API authentication.
API Authentication: Token-based authentication system for programmatic access to KrakenHashes.
Backup Codes: One-time use codes for account recovery when primary MFA method is unavailable.
Certificate Authority (CA): Entity that issues digital certificates for TLS/SSL encryption.
CORS: Cross-Origin Resource Sharing - security feature controlling which domains can access the API.
JWT: JSON Web Token - standard for securely transmitting information between parties as a JSON object.
LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol - external authentication system support.
Rate Limiting: Security measure limiting the number of API requests per time period.
RBAC: Role-Based Access Control - authorization system based on user roles (admin, user, agent, system).
Refresh Token: Long-lived token used to obtain new access tokens without re-authentication.
Self-Signed Certificate: TLS certificate signed by its creator rather than a trusted CA.
Session Management: System for tracking and controlling user login sessions.
TLS/SSL: Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer - encryption protocols for secure communication.
TOTP: Time-based One-Time Password - MFA method using authenticator apps.
Voucher: Authorization code for specific actions like agent registration or user invitation.
Performance and Optimization Terms¶
A-Z¶
Benchmark Score: Measured performance of hardware against specific hash algorithms.
Cache: Temporary storage of frequently accessed data to improve performance.
Concurrency: Number of simultaneous operations or connections the system can handle.
GPU: Graphics Processing Unit - primary hardware for high-speed password cracking.
GPU Utilization: Percentage of GPU resources being used during cracking operations.
Hash Rate: Speed of password testing, measured in hashes per second (H/s).
Keyspace Distribution: Method of dividing the total keyspace among multiple agents for parallel processing.
Load Balancing: Distribution of work across multiple agents based on their capabilities.
Memory Usage: RAM consumption by hashcat and the agent during operations.
Optimization: Techniques to improve cracking speed or resource efficiency.
Parallel Processing: Simultaneous execution of job chunks across multiple agents.
Performance Metrics: Measurements of system efficiency including hash rate, completion time, and resource usage.
Resource Allocation: Assignment of CPU, GPU, and memory resources to cracking operations.
Thermal Throttling: Automatic reduction in GPU performance to prevent overheating.
Workload Distribution: Strategy for assigning job chunks to agents based on their capabilities.
Job and Task Statuses¶
Job Execution Statuses¶
Pending: Job has been created but has not yet started execution. Waiting for available agents or higher priority jobs to complete.
Running: Job is actively executing with one or more tasks assigned to agents. Agents are processing the job's keyspace.
Paused: Job execution has been temporarily halted by user action. Tasks are stopped but can be resumed later.
Processing: Job has finished execution but is waiting for crack batches to be transmitted from agents and processed by the backend. Progress shows 100% but final completion is pending crack data receipt.
Completed: Job has finished all work, all crack batches have been received and processed, and email notifications (if enabled) have been sent.
Failed: Job encountered an unrecoverable error during execution and cannot continue.
Cancelled: Job was manually cancelled by a user before completion.
Task Statuses¶
Pending: Task has been created but not yet assigned to an agent.
Assigned: Task has been assigned to a specific agent but the agent hasn't started executing it yet.
Reconnect Pending: Task was assigned to an agent that disconnected. Waiting for agent to reconnect or task to be reassigned.
Running: Task is actively executing on an agent. Hashcat is processing the assigned keyspace.
Processing: Task has completed hashcat execution but is waiting for all crack batches to be transmitted to the backend. Agent has signaled completion but crack data is still being sent.
Completed: Task has finished execution, all crack batches have been received, and the task is fully complete.
Failed: Task encountered an error during execution and could not complete successfully.
Cancelled: Task was manually cancelled before completion, either by user action or due to job cancellation.
Common Abbreviations¶
A-Z¶
API: Application Programming Interface
CA: Certificate Authority
CLI: Command Line Interface
CPU: Central Processing Unit
CRUD: Create, Read, Update, Delete (database operations)
CSV: Comma-Separated Values
DB: Database
DNS: Domain Name System
DTO: Data Transfer Object
GPU: Graphics Processing Unit
H/s: Hashes per second
HTTP/HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol (Secure)
ID: Identifier
IP: Internet Protocol
JSON: JavaScript Object Notation
JWT: JSON Web Token
KH/s: Kilohashes per second (1,000 H/s)
LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
MFA: Multi-Factor Authentication
MH/s: Megahashes per second (1,000,000 H/s)
NTLM: NT LAN Manager (Windows password hash format)
ORM: Object-Relational Mapping
OS: Operating System
RAM: Random Access Memory
RBAC: Role-Based Access Control
REST: Representational State Transfer
SHA: Secure Hash Algorithm
SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (email transmission protocol)
SQL: Structured Query Language
SSL: Secure Sockets Layer
TLS: Transport Layer Security
TOTP: Time-based One-Time Password
UI/UX: User Interface/User Experience
URI/URL: Uniform Resource Identifier/Locator
UUID: Universally Unique Identifier
VRAM: Video Random Access Memory (GPU memory)
WS: WebSocket
XML: Extensible Markup Language
This glossary is continuously updated as new features and terminology are introduced to the KrakenHashes system.