CompTIA Security+ Exam: Differentiating Rainbow Table and Brute Force Attacks

Which Characteristics Distinguish Rainbow Table Attacks from Brute Force Attacks?

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Question

Which of the following characteristics differentiate a rainbow table attack from a brute force attack? (Choose two.)

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Explanations

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A. B. C. D. E.

BE.

Sure, I'll be happy to provide you with a detailed explanation of the characteristics that differentiate a rainbow table attack from a brute force attack.

  1. Rainbow table attacks greatly reduce compute cycles at attack time. This statement is true and is one of the primary differences between a rainbow table attack and a brute force attack. A brute force attack requires the attacker to generate and test every possible password combination until they find the correct one. This can take a significant amount of time, depending on the complexity of the password. In contrast, a rainbow table attack uses precomputed hashes that are stored in a table, greatly reducing the amount of computation required at attack time. This means that the attacker can quickly match the hashed passwords to the entries in the rainbow table and find the password associated with the hash.

  2. Rainbow tables must include precomputed hashes. This statement is also true and is another primary difference between a rainbow table attack and a brute force attack. Rainbow tables are created by precomputing a large number of possible password hashes and storing them in a table. The table typically includes hashes for all possible password combinations of a certain length and character set. Once the table is created, the attacker can use it to quickly match the hashes of the target passwords to the entries in the table, allowing them to find the corresponding passwords without having to perform extensive computation.

  3. Rainbow table attacks do not require access to hashed passwords. This statement is false and is not a characteristic that differentiates a rainbow table attack from a brute force attack. In order to perform a rainbow table attack, the attacker must have access to the hashed passwords that they wish to crack. Without access to the hashed passwords, a rainbow table attack is not possible.

  4. Rainbow table attacks must be performed on the network. This statement is false and is not a characteristic that differentiates a rainbow table attack from a brute force attack. Rainbow table attacks can be performed either locally or remotely, depending on the circumstances.

  5. Rainbow table attacks bypass maximum failed login restrictions. This statement is false and is not a characteristic that differentiates a rainbow table attack from a brute force attack. Maximum failed login restrictions are designed to prevent brute force attacks by limiting the number of login attempts that can be made within a certain time period. Rainbow table attacks are not affected by these restrictions, but neither are brute force attacks.