What is Password Spraying, and How to Prevent It?

Password spraying is a sophisticated form of brute force attack that exploits user’s tendency to use simple and easily guessed passwords. In such an attack, malicious actors employ the same password to gain unauthorised access across multiple accounts before progressing to other credentials. This method proves particularly effective due to users’ propensity to adopt simplistic and easily guessable passwords, such as “password” or “123456.”

Many organisations implement lockout policies after a certain number of failed login attempts to deter brute-force attacks on individual accounts. However, the password spraying technique evades these safeguards by deploying a single password across an extensive array of accounts, minimising the risk of lockouts.

Password spraying can rapidly compromise numerous systems by simultaneously targeting thousands or even millions of accounts. This efficiency is often achieved through automation and can be executed over an extended period to evade detection. Organisations that set default passwords for new users, utilise single sign-on (SSO) solutions, or rely on cloud-based platforms are particularly vulnerable to password spraying. Despite its apparent simplicity, password spraying remains a potent tool in the arsenal of sophisticated cyber crime groups, underscoring the need for robust password policies and user education.

Let’s understand password spraying in detail.

How Does a Password Spraying Work?

Password spraying typically occurs in 3 stages:

Acquisition of usernames

Attackers often initiate the password-spraying attack by procuring a pre-compiled list of user names. These lists may be stolen from the dark web, an unregulated and anonymous marketplace. Estimates suggest that over 15 billion compromised credentials are for sale on the dark web, offering a vast pool of potential targets. Alternatively, cyber criminals may also create their own lists by using publicly accessible information such as corporate email lists obtained from LinkedIn or other public information sources.

Acquisition of Common Passwords

The success of password spraying hinges on using widely used and predictable passwords. Common passwords are relatively easy to find through the various reports or studies published yearly. For instance, Wikipedia has a page listing the most common 10,000 passwords. Attackers may conduct their own research to predict the passwords based on factors such as local sports team names or a prominent landmark near the targeted organisation.

Execution of Username/Password Combinations

Once cyber criminals obtain the names of users and passwords, they attempt various combinations to identify valid credentials. Often, the process is automated using password-spraying words. Cyber criminals employ one password across various user names before trying the next password in the list. This strategic approach minimises the risk of triggering account lockout mechanisms or encountering IP address blocks that may restrict excessive login attempts.

Tips to Protech Against Password Spraying

Organisations can protect their defence by following these steps.

Enforce a Strong Password Policy

Organisations can enforce strong password policies to minimise the risks of password spraying attacks. Encourage your employees to use strong passwords incorporating different upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Additionally, enforce guidelines that mandate regular password changes and discourage the reuse of previous passwords.

Set up Login Detection

Deploying systems to monitor and detect abnormal login activities is crucial to avoid being a victim of password-spraying attacks. IT teams should deploy robust detection for login attempts originating from a single IP address or host that targets multiple accounts within a short timeframe. Such patterns could indicate password-spraying attempts.

Ensure a Strong Lockout Policy

Establish a suitable threshold for lockout policy at the domain level to defend against password-spraying attacks. Define the threshold for failed login attempts that effectively deter the attackers from making multiple login attempts while allowing legitimate users to recover from minor errors. Additionally, there should be a clear process for unlocking and resetting to ensure a swift recovery for verified users.

Adopt a Zero Trust Security Framework

A zero-trust architecture ensures access is granted based on the principle of least privilege. Users should only have access to the resources necessary to perform their tasks, significantly limiting potential attack surfaces. Continuous verification of user identity and access is critical within this framework.

Utilise Biometric Authentication

Incorporating biometric authentication can provide an additional layer of security that is less susceptible to compromise than alphanumeric passwords. Requiring biometric verification ensures that even if an attacker has access to a username and password, they cannot log in without the legitimate user’s physical presence.

Conclusion

Password spraying is a serious threat that can have serious consequences for organisations falling victim to such attacks. By adopting these strategies, organisations can significantly enhance their defences against password-spraying attacks. A proactive security posture that integrates strong password practices, user behaviour monitoring, and advanced authentication methods will help safeguard sensitive information and maintain the integrity of organisational systems. Regular security training and awareness initiatives can also empower employees to recognise potential threats and adhere to best practices in cyber security.

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The original story first appeared on Cyber News Live: https://cybernewslive.com/password-spraying/ .