Which term describes the cryptanalytic technique that relies on precomputed tables of hashes to speed password cracking?

Which term describes the cryptanalytic technique that relies on precomputed tables of hashes to speed password cracking?

• A. Brute Force Attack
• B. Dictionary Attack
• C. Rainbow Table Attack
• D. RainbowCrack

Answer: (C)

This question tests the concept of using precomputed tables of hashes to speed password cracking. The best term for this technique is a rainbow table attack. It works by creating large tables that store hash values (and their corresponding plaintexts) in advance, along with reduction functions that map hashes back to candidate passwords through chain links. When cracking, you look up a hash in the table to quickly find a matching plaintext, rather than trying every possible password from scratch. Rainbow tables optimize storage with chains so that you cover many possibilities without storing every single hash, which makes the attack considerably faster against unsalted hashes. Brute force attacks don’t rely on precomputed tables; they try every possible password sequence, which can be very slow. Dictionary attacks use a list of common words, which speeds up cracking only if the target passwords are simple or common, but they still don’t depend on large precomputed hash tables. RainbowCrack is a tool that implements rainbow table methods, not the technique itself.

This question tests the concept of using precomputed tables of hashes to speed password cracking. The best term for this technique is a rainbow table attack. It works by creating large tables that store hash values (and their corresponding plaintexts) in advance, along with reduction functions that map hashes back to candidate passwords through chain links. When cracking, you look up a hash in the table to quickly find a matching plaintext, rather than trying every possible password from scratch. Rainbow tables optimize storage with chains so that you cover many possibilities without storing every single hash, which makes the attack considerably faster against unsalted hashes.

Brute force attacks don’t rely on precomputed tables; they try every possible password sequence, which can be very slow. Dictionary attacks use a list of common words, which speeds up cracking only if the target passwords are simple or common, but they still don’t depend on large precomputed hash tables. RainbowCrack is a tool that implements rainbow table methods, not the technique itself.