Which type of attack uses a precomputed table of hash values to recover a password?

The correct answer is A. Rainbow table attack. A rainbow table attack (A) works by precomputing a massive table mapping plaintext passwords to their hash values, allowing an attacker to reverse a stolen hash back to the original password almost instantly by lookup - no computation needed at crack time. A brute force attack (B

Attacks and Countermeasures

Question

Options

ARainbow table attack
BBrute force attack
CDictionary attack
DSymlink attack

How the community answered

(26 responses)

A
88% (23)
B
8% (2)
D
4% (1)

Explanation

A rainbow table attack (A) works by precomputing a massive table mapping plaintext passwords to their hash values, allowing an attacker to reverse a stolen hash back to the original password almost instantly by lookup - no computation needed at crack time. A brute force attack (B) computes hashes on the fly, trying every possible combination sequentially, with no precomputed table involved. A dictionary attack (C) also computes hashes at crack time but limits guesses to a wordlist of likely passwords rather than using a precomputed mapping. A symlink attack (D) is unrelated - it exploits symbolic link behavior to access unauthorized files, not passwords or hashes.

Memory tip: Think "rainbow = ready-made" - the table is built ahead of time, like a colorful reference chart you consult rather than recalculate. If you see "precomputed" on the exam, the answer is rainbow table.

Topics

#rainbow tables#password attacks#hash functions#password recovery

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