Or any list of passwords extracted from a database, like MD5, SHA1 or any other encryption algorithm.įor this example, I created a text file and added a bunch of MD5 passwords in it.The /etc/passwd file on Linux systems (use the unshadowed version for recent distributions).Simple exampleįirst, you’ll need a password file, meaning a file on your computer containing one or more encrypted passwords that you want to crack. Let’s try a few ones to give you an idea of the possibilities. Many options are available as optional argument to the command line, for various types of attacks and strategies. How to use John The RipperĪs there is no graphic interface, using John The Ripper is not straightforward.

That’s what the shortcut in the main menu will do. You'll enjoy receiving the recent articles directly in your inbox every week!īut basically, there is no graphic interface for John The Ripper, so you can just open a terminal and type the command to use it: Stay tuned with the latest security news! There is also a “Live” version that you can use on your computer without overwriting your current system. It’s available on most platform, you can even download virtual machines and containers.

You can download Kali Linux from the official website ( on this page). It’s a Debian-based Linux distribution, including all the tools for pen-testers (network scan, vulnerability analysis, password recovery, wireless attacks, etc.). If you don’t have Kali Linux yet, the first step will be to install it on your computer. In this tutorial, I’m using Kali Linux, a distribution built for hacking and pen-testing, but you can use John on any other system if you prefer, the examples I give later will work the same way. You can either download the source code and compile it, or use a release package for your system or distribution. John The Ripper is an open-source password recovery tool, and is available on all operating systems and distributions.

Download john the ripper without kali