Re: password security

From: Steven L Umbach (n9rou@attbi.com)
Date: 10/19/02 

From: "Steven L Umbach" <n9rou@attbi.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2002 00:46:25 GMT

      W2K DC's do not store domain passwords in SAM. SAM is used only to
store local user accounts/ passwords. If there is a SAM on DC it probably
is there because they all started out as non-DC's. However any NT BDC's on
the network would have a SAM for the domain. I hate to use the word
impossible, but it would be next to impossible for a regular user to crack
user Active Directory passwords from a W2K DC without unfettered physical
access to a DC. Also any downlevel clients should be using Active Directory
Client so they can authenticate with NTLM V2. A Win98 computer without it
would be using LM to authenticate which is very weak, someone could capture
the hash with a network sniffer and crack it fairly easily. Kerberos is the
most secure, but of course you need a W2K or better client to use that for
authentication. There are lots of ways however to obtain user passwords
including guessing, post its, loose lips, hidden cameras, phony
e-mails/phone calls by people posing as administrators or suppport, and
keyboard sniffers. --- Steve
"NeoSadist" <neos@dist> wrote in message
news:ur0k05lara6vff@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Altan" <n@s.com> wrote in message
> news:708901c276cf$8bd33de0$3bef2ecf@TKMSFTNGXA10...
> > Is their any possible way a domain user from his
> > workstation to crack the users passwords from the domain
> > controller from his workstation. Without physical access
> > to the servers?
> > Windows 2k servers and Win 2k workstations
>
> If he can access the SAM files, and copy them as a file somewhere else
> (like, say, to his desktop), then he can use L0phtcrack to crack them.
So,
> try copying the file to your desktop, while logged in as that user. If
you
> can copy out the SAM file(s), you can crack them if you have the right
> software.
>
>

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