Community Byte: Coding a Web-Based Password Cracker in Python

Welcome to another Community Byte announcement! In the past two sessions, we have coded an IRC bot in Python capable of issuing commands. Since it can issue commands and most of you are new to programming, that project will stay idle for a while. Other commands such as voice and half-op can be easily hacked in via common sense, even if you weren't there for that session.

This week, I have something a bit more fun planned. We are all going to create a Python program to crack web-based passwords, like the ones you would see on an email or router login. This is going to be a very general and uniform password cracker, which should then be potentially modifiable to work for anything with a login on your browser.

Pretty cool, eh? To join this Community Byte, you have to pinky-swear that you'll join and idle in IRC forever! Just kidding.

Prerequisites

• Python 2.7 installed on your computer.
• An IRC client, like XChat.
• Gobby, a real-time collaborative code editor.

How does this work?

We will be using IRC to round people up before we start to code. In IRC, I will assist whoever needs help connecting to the Gobby session. If you're new to IRC, go here to learn how to set it up and use it. I will be hosting a Gobby server for everyone to connect to, which allows us all to code in real-time, with everyone able to view and learn the code as we go along. Gobby makes coding with friends over long distance fun and easy.

When does it start?

The coding will take place every Friday at 5:00 pm PST, so be in IRC around that time. At the end of each session, I will post the code to the forums, and write a post about how it works, and what our code can do!

Project goals

• The program can at least crack our test page.
• Modular programming and variable-based so the tool can be hacked easily.
• Everyone will learn a bit of Python.
• Bring the community together and teach each other new things!
• Get more people in IRC.

Get everyone you can to join IRC and start posting in the forums! Don't be shy, we don't bite, and the more people who idle 24/7, the more fun it is for all of us! I'm always there, so come say hello!

Photo by ESI