CAPEC-565
Password Spraying
In a Password Spraying attack, an adversary tries a small list (e.g. 3-5) of common or expected passwords, often matching the target's complexity policy, against a known list of user accounts to gain valid credentials. The adversary tries a particular password for each user account, before moving onto the next password in the list. This approach assists the adversary in remaining undetected by avoiding rapid or frequent account lockouts. The adversary may then reattempt the process with additional passwords, once enough time has passed to prevent inducing a lockout.
On this page
Password Spraying attacks often target management services over commonly used ports such as SSH, FTP, Telnet, LDAP, Kerberos, MySQL, and more. Additional targets include Single Sign-On (SSO) or cloud-based applications/services that utilize federated authentication protocols, and externally facing applications. Successful execution of Password Spraying attacks usually lead to lateral movement within the target, which allows the adversary to impersonate the victim or execute any action that the victim is authorized to perform. If the password chosen by the user is commonly used or easily guessed, this attack will be successful (in the absence of other mitigations). This is a specific instance of the password brute forcing attack pattern.
Password Spraying Attacks are similar to Dictionary-based Password Attacks (CAPEC-16) in that they both leverage precompiled lists (i.e. dictionaries) of username/password combinations to try against a system/application. The primary difference is that Password Spraying Attacks leverage a known list of user accounts and only try one password for each account before moving onto the next password. In contrast, Dictionary-based Password Attacks leverage unknown username/password combinations and are often executed offline against files containing hashed credentials, where inducing an account lockout is not a concern.
Password Spraying Attacks are also similar to Credential Stuffing attacks (CAPEC-600), since both utilize known user accounts and often attack the same targets. Credential Stuffing attacks, however, leverage known username/password combinations, whereas Password Spraying attacks have no insight into known username/password pairs. If a Password Spraying attack succeeds, it may additionally lead to Credential Stuffing attacks on different targets.
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Explain the attack pattern CAPEC-565: Password Spraying: how it unfolds, what it needs and how to prevent and detect it in my systems. Use https://capec.mitre.org/data/definitions/565.html and https://cve.bz/cve/capec/565?via=ask-ai-copy, which lists recent CVEs with the weaknesses it exploits. Cite the sources.Opens a third-party assistant; its answer is its own, not cve.bz's. The prompt holds only this attack pattern's id and public links.
How the attack unfolds
Explore
The attacker looks for a way in.
[Determine target's password policy] Determine the password policies of the target system/application.
3 techniques
- Determine minimum and maximum allowed password lengths.
- Determine format of allowed passwords (whether they are required or allowed to contain numbers, special characters, etc., or whether they are allowed to contain words from the dictionary).
- Determine account lockout policy (a strict account lockout policy will prevent brute force attacks).
[Select passwords] Pick the passwords to be used in the attack (e.g. commonly used passwords, passwords tailored to individual users, etc.)
2 techniques
- Select passwords based on common use or a particular user's additional details.
- Select passwords based on the target's password complexity policies.
Exploit
They carry out the attack.
[Brute force password] Given the finite space of possible passwords dictated by information determined in the previous steps, try each password for all known user accounts until the target grants access.
2 techniques
- Manually or automatically enter the first password for each known user account through the target's interface. In most systems, start with the shortest and simplest possible passwords, because most users tend to select such passwords if allowed to do so.
- Iterate through the remaining passwords for each known user account.
Prerequisites
The system/application uses one factor password based authentication.
The system/application does not have a sound password policy that is being enforced.
The system/application does not implement an effective password throttling mechanism.
The adversary possesses a list of known user accounts on the target system/application.
Skills required
- Low skill
A Password Spraying attack is very straightforward. A variety of password cracking tools are widely available.
Resources required
A machine with sufficient resources for the job (e.g. CPU, RAM, HD).
Applicable password lists.
A password cracking tool or a custom script that leverages the password list to launch the attack.
Signs of an attack
Many invalid login attempts are coming from the same machine (same IP address) or for multiple user accounts within short succession.
The login attempts use passwords that have been used previously by the user account in question.
Login attempts are originating from IP addresses or locations that are inconsistent with the user's normal IP addresses or locations.
Consequences
| Impact | Affects | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gain Privileges | Confidentiality, Access Control, Authentication | |
| Read Data | Confidentiality, Authorization | |
| Modify Data | Integrity |
Mitigations
Create a strong password policy and ensure that your system enforces this policy.
Implement an intelligent password throttling mechanism. Care must be taken to assure that these mechanisms do not excessively enable account lockout attacks such as CAPEC-2.
Leverage multi-factor authentication for all authentication services and prior to granting an entity access to the domain network.
Weaknesses it exploits
- CWE-262 Not Using Password Aging
- CWE-263 Password Aging with Long Expiration
- CWE-307 Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts
- CWE-308 Use of Single-factor Authentication
- CWE-309 Use of Password System for Primary Authentication
- CWE-521 Weak Password Requirements
- CWE-654 Reliance on a Single Factor in a Security Decision
Recent CVEs with these weaknesses
- 5.4CVE-2026-113968
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.12 and iPadOS 18.7.12, iOS 26.7.3 and iPadOS 26.7.3, iOS 27.2.1 and iPadOS 27.2.1, macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1, macOS Sequoia 15.8.3, macOS Tahoe 26.7…
- 5.4CVE-2026-113964
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 18.7.12 and iPadOS 18.7.12, iOS 26.7.3 and iPadOS 26.7.3, iOS 27.2.1 and iPadOS 27.2.1, macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1, macOS Sequoia 15.8.3, macOS Tahoe 26.7…
- 6.9CVE-2026-112205
WidzialniCMS is vulnerable to Bruteforce Protection Bypass in the login functionality. The cookie-based lockout can be bypassed by omitting the login_count and login_timeout cookies, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to perform an unlim…
- 6.3CVE-2026-124575
A vulnerability was identified in SiteServer SSCMS up to 7.1.3/7.2.1/7.4.0. This issue affects the function LoginController.Submit of the file src/SSCMS.Web/Controllers/Admin/LoginController.Submit.cs of the component Admin-Login CAPTCHA. …
- 9.3CVE-2026-124445
OpenEMR from 7.0.1 before 8.4.0 contains a flaw in src/Common/Auth/OneTimeAuth.php that ignores the enforce_onetime_use and max_access_count flags, never revokes consumed service_auth tokens, and checks login_pin without rate limiting or s…
- 6.0CVE-2026-123521
Vikunja before 2.7.1 contains an improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts vulnerability that allows session holders to brute-force account passwords via unthrottled re-authentication endpoints. Attackers with a stolen sess…
- 8.9CVE-2026-17280
IBM API Connect 10.0.8.0 through 10.0.8.12 and 12.1.0.0 through 12.1.1.2 could allow a remote attacker to perform unauthenticated brute-force attacks to obtain valid credentials due to improper restriction of excessive authentication attem…
- 7.5CVE-2026-68933
Chartbrew is an open-source web application that can connect directly to databases and APIs and use the data to create charts. Prior to 5.2.3, public dashboard passwords were stored in plaintext, accepted through a URL query parameter, and…
The newest records naming one of them. Each weakness's page lists them all.
Related attack patterns
- Part of
- CAPEC-49 Password Brute Forcing
Examples
A user selects the phrase "Password123" as their password, believing that it would be very difficult to guess…
A user selects the phrase "Password123" as their password, believing that it would be very difficult to guess. Password Spraying, leveraging a list of commonly used passwords, is used to crack this password and gain access to the account.
The Iranian hacker group APT33 (AKA Holmium, Refined Kitten, or Elfin) carried out numerous Password Spraying…
The Iranian hacker group APT33 (AKA Holmium, Refined Kitten, or Elfin) carried out numerous Password Spraying attacks in 2019. On average, APT33 targeted 2,000 organizations per month, with upwards of 10 million authentication attempts each day. The majority of these attacks targeted manufacturers, suppliers, or maintainers of industrial control system equipment.
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