Dictionary Attack Word Count

TL;DR

A standard Cain & Abel wordlist contains approximately 269,000 words. This guide explains how to verify this and what it means for password cracking attempts.

Checking the Wordlist Size

1. Locate your wordlist: The default location is usually C:Program Files (x86)Cain Abelwordlists. Look for a file named something like rockyou.txt or similar.
2. Use the command line: Open Command Prompt (search for ‘cmd’ in Windows).
3. Navigate to the wordlist directory: Use the cd command. For example:

   cd "C:Program Files (x86)Cain Abelwordlists"

4. Count the lines: This is equivalent to counting words in a simple text list.

   type rockyou.txt | wc -l

   (Note: You may need to install wc if it’s not already available. See ‘Installing wc for Windows’ below.)

5. Interpret the result: The number displayed is the approximate word count in your list. Expect a value around 269,000 for common lists like rockyou.txt.

Understanding Wordlist Size

The size of the dictionary significantly impacts password cracking time. A larger wordlist means more possibilities to try.

• Brute-force vs. Dictionary Attack: A dictionary attack only tries words in the list. Brute-force attempts all possible character combinations, which is much slower but can crack passwords not found in dictionaries.
• Common Wordlist Sources: Rockyou.txt is a popular choice, but many other wordlists are available online (search for ‘password wordlists’).
• Impact of Password Complexity: Complex passwords (long length, mixed case, numbers, symbols) are less likely to be found in standard dictionaries.

Installing wc for Windows

If the wc command isn’t recognized, you need to install it.

1. Download CoreUtils: Download a pre-built binary of CoreUtils for Windows (e.g., from GNUWin32).
2. Extract the archive: Extract the downloaded zip file to a directory on your computer (e.g., C:CoreUtils).
3. Add CoreUtils to PATH: Add the bin folder of CoreUtils to your system’s PATH environment variable.
   • Search for ‘environment variables’ in Windows settings.
   • Edit the ‘Path’ variable (under System variables).
   • Add a new entry pointing to the CoreUtils bin directory (e.g., C:CoreUtilsbin).
4. Restart Command Prompt: Close and reopen Command Prompt for the changes to take effect.