hashcat
World’s fastest GPU password recovery.
KaliParrotLinuxmedium
pkg: hashcat
hashcat cracks hundreds of hash types at high speed using GPUs, with dictionary, rule, mask and hybrid attacks.
Syntax
hashcat -m {mode} -a {attack} {hashfile} {wordlist}
Example
hashcat -m 0 -a 0 hashes.txt rockyou.txt
Cracks raw MD5 (-m 0) with a straight dictionary attack (-a 0).
Options & flags
What each switch does. Toggle them in the builder below to assemble a command.
Command builder
Tick options (and fill any values) to build a ready-to-copy command.
hashcat HASHFILE WORDLIST
Usage examples
hashcat -m 0 -a 0 hashes.txt rockyou.txt
Dictionary attack on raw MD5 hashes.
hashcat -m 1000 -a 3 ntlm.txt ?u?l?l?l?d?d?d?d
Mask brute-force NTLM: Upper+3 lower+4 digits.
hashcat -m 22000 -a 0 wifi.hc22000 rockyou.txt
Crack a captured WPA handshake/PMKID.
Advantages
- Extreme GPU speed
- Supports 300+ hash modes
- Powerful mask/rule attacks
Disadvantages
- Needs a capable GPU
- Mode numbers must be exact
- Steep options surface
Tags
#hash-cracking#gpu#offline
Official docs: hashcat ↗
Related commands
Frequently asked questions
What is hashcat used for?
hashcat cracks hundreds of hash types at high speed using GPUs, with dictionary, rule, mask and hybrid attacks.
What is an example hashcat command?
A common example is: hashcat -m 0 -a 0 hashes.txt rockyou.txt — Cracks raw MD5 (-m 0) with a straight dictionary attack (-a 0).
Is hashcat part of Kali Linux?
Yes. hashcat ships with Kali Linux (and Parrot OS). If missing, install it with: sudo apt install hashcat.
What category of security tool is hashcat?
hashcat is a Password Attacks tool with a medium-risk profile when run against a live target.
Try recon tools live
Run real scans against a domain you control, stage by stage.