Cracking Hashes (hashcat / John)

Cross-platform resources for Cracking Hashes (hashcat / John): curated HTB machines, PortSwigger labs and TryHackMe rooms with validated writeups and related skills.

This page aggregates cross-platform resources to practice Cracking Hashes (hashcat / John): retired Hack The Box machines, PortSwigger Web Security Academy labs and TryHackMe rooms, plus curated resources (HackTricks, PortSwigger, etc.) and related skills.

Coverage: 47 challenges across 2 platforms — 25 HackTheBox · 22 TryHackMe. 25 with a Spanish writeup, 26 with a video writeup.

Where to start

Ordered by actual difficulty. At the same level: isolated lab first, then the guided room, and the full machine last.

1. TryHackMe — Advent of Cyber 2022 (Easy · ~1440 min) · 🇬🇧
2. TryHackMe — Advent of Cyber 2024 (Easy · ~1440 min) · 🇬🇧
3. TryHackMe — Basic Pentesting (Easy · ~45 min) · 🇬🇧 📹
4. TryHackMe — Brute It (Easy · ~45 min) · 🇬🇧
5. TryHackMe — Bugged (Easy · ~30 min) · 🇬🇧
6. TryHackMe — Crack the hash (Easy · ~45 min) · 🇬🇧

Curated resources

Source	Link
HackTricks	https://book.hacktricks.wiki/en/generic-methodologies-and-resources/brute-force.html

HTB machines practicing Cracking Hashes (hashcat / John) (25)

Machine	OS	Difficulty	Writeup
Acute	Windows	HARD	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Anubis	Windows	INSANE	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
APT	Windows	INSANE	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Arctic	Windows	EASY	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Charon	Linux	HARD	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
CrossFit	Linux	INSANE	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Dab	Linux	HARD	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Delivery	Linux	EASY	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Forest	Windows	EASY	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Jewel	Linux	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Joker	Linux	HARD	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Node	Linux	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Phoenix	Linux	HARD	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
RE	Windows	HARD	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Sauna	Windows	EASY	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Schooled	Linux	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Scrambled	Windows	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
StreamIO	Windows	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Teacher	Linux	EASY	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Tenten	Linux	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Toby	Linux	INSANE	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Unbalanced	Linux	HARD	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Undetected	Linux	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Valentine	Linux	EASY	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹
Writer	Linux	MEDIUM	🇪🇸 🇬🇧 📹

TryHackMe rooms practicing Cracking Hashes (hashcat / John) (22)

Room	Difficulty	Type	Access	Official
History of Malware	INFO	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Advent of Cyber 2022	EASY	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Advent of Cyber 2024	EASY	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Basic Pentesting	EASY	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
Brute It	EASY	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
Bugged	EASY	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
Crack the hash	EASY	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
Easy Peasy	EASY	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
John the Ripper: The Basics	EASY	Walkthrough	🔵 VIP	Open
Junior Security Analyst Intro	EASY	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Linux Modules	EASY	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Memory Forensics	EASY	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
Network Services 2	EASY	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
NoSQL Injection	EASY	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Wifi Hacking 101	EASY	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Wordpress: CVE-2021-29447	EASY	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
AWS IAM Enumeration	MEDIUM	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Crack The Hash Level 2	MEDIUM	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
Identification & Scoping	MEDIUM	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
Linux PrivEsc	MEDIUM	Walkthrough	🟢 Free	Open
REvil Corp	MEDIUM	Challenge	🟢 Free	Open
Daily Bugle	HARD	Challenge	🔵 VIP	Open

Related skills

• /en/skills/brute-force

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Last updated: 2026-08-17