Which password cracking technique uses precomputed hash values?

Question

Options

• ADictionary attack
• BRainbow table attack
• CSession hijacking
• DPhishing

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  93% (51)
• C
  4% (2)
• D
  2% (1)

Explanation

Rainbow table attacks work by precomputing hash values for a massive list of possible passwords and storing them in a lookup table - when an attacker obtains a hashed password, they simply look up the hash to find the plaintext, making cracking extremely fast without needing to hash anything at runtime.

A (Dictionary attack) is wrong because it hashes candidate words on the fly during the attack, rather than using precomputed values. C (Session hijacking) doesn't crack passwords at all - it steals an authenticated session token to impersonate a user. D (Phishing) tricks users into revealing their credentials directly, bypassing hashing entirely.

Memory tip: Think of a rainbow table as a "cheat sheet" - the work is done before the test (precomputed), whereas a dictionary attack does the work during the test. The word "precomputed" in the question is your direct pointer to rainbow tables.

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