What is a brute force attack and how does it work?
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2024 8:54 am
There are several cyber attacks that can compromise the functioning of websites. Among these, brute force is one of the most frequent and with a high success rate.
The word alone can give you an idea of how insidious this type of cyber attack is: one of the consequences is the heavy load it causes on the server, to the point of making it unusable. It has been called “brute force” because the attacker uses repeated and forced attempts to gain unauthorized access to a system.
But what exactly are brute force attacks and how do they work? Let's find out together.
Table of Contents:
How a Brute Force Attack Works
How to prevent brute force attacks?
Use strong passwords
Implement two-factor authentication (2FA)
Limit the number of login attempts
Monitor and log access
Using Firewalls
Use CAPTCHA
Keep your software up to date
How a Brute Force Attack Works
The goal of a brute force attack is to break the authentication of a system, be it an online account, a database, or any other resource protected by credentials. Once access is gained, the attacker can steal sensitive data, install malware, or use the compromised system to perform further malicious activities.
With brute force, the attacker intends to find the login credentials by trying, in sequence, all the possible combinations of usable characters. Cybercriminals generally use software to automate password combinations.
The process is conceptually simple, uae phone number list but can be extremely elaborate in practice. Here are the main steps:
Target identification: The attacker identifies the system to be compromised.
Automated attempts: Specialized software is used to systematically try each generated password.
Results Analysis: The program monitors the target system's responses to identify any successful attempts.
Unauthorized access: Once the password is found, the hacker gains access to the system.
When a brute force attack is aimed at a WordPress website, the common target is the vulnerable xmlrpc.php file (a file present by default in all versions of WordPress) or the admin login page.
The xmlrpc.php is responsible for RPC calls and allows access to the site via applications developed for mobile devices. In this case, the attack is much more difficult to detect and in almost all cases gives the desired effect, that is, access to the site and, as a consequence of the method used, an overload of the server.
How to prevent brute force attacks?
There are several best practices that can help users effectively prevent brute force attacks.
Use strong passwords
Setting strong passwords is the most effective way to thwart hackers. Avoid using obvious passwords, instead opting for random character strings rather than existing words, including a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Also, consider implementing periodic password change policies to give your credentials a regular spin.
The word alone can give you an idea of how insidious this type of cyber attack is: one of the consequences is the heavy load it causes on the server, to the point of making it unusable. It has been called “brute force” because the attacker uses repeated and forced attempts to gain unauthorized access to a system.
But what exactly are brute force attacks and how do they work? Let's find out together.
Table of Contents:
How a Brute Force Attack Works
How to prevent brute force attacks?
Use strong passwords
Implement two-factor authentication (2FA)
Limit the number of login attempts
Monitor and log access
Using Firewalls
Use CAPTCHA
Keep your software up to date
How a Brute Force Attack Works
The goal of a brute force attack is to break the authentication of a system, be it an online account, a database, or any other resource protected by credentials. Once access is gained, the attacker can steal sensitive data, install malware, or use the compromised system to perform further malicious activities.
With brute force, the attacker intends to find the login credentials by trying, in sequence, all the possible combinations of usable characters. Cybercriminals generally use software to automate password combinations.
The process is conceptually simple, uae phone number list but can be extremely elaborate in practice. Here are the main steps:
Target identification: The attacker identifies the system to be compromised.
Automated attempts: Specialized software is used to systematically try each generated password.
Results Analysis: The program monitors the target system's responses to identify any successful attempts.
Unauthorized access: Once the password is found, the hacker gains access to the system.
When a brute force attack is aimed at a WordPress website, the common target is the vulnerable xmlrpc.php file (a file present by default in all versions of WordPress) or the admin login page.
The xmlrpc.php is responsible for RPC calls and allows access to the site via applications developed for mobile devices. In this case, the attack is much more difficult to detect and in almost all cases gives the desired effect, that is, access to the site and, as a consequence of the method used, an overload of the server.
How to prevent brute force attacks?
There are several best practices that can help users effectively prevent brute force attacks.
Use strong passwords
Setting strong passwords is the most effective way to thwart hackers. Avoid using obvious passwords, instead opting for random character strings rather than existing words, including a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Also, consider implementing periodic password change policies to give your credentials a regular spin.