Re: LC4 (L0phtCrack) error "Couldn't open SAM\Domains\Account\Users in SAM file. Possibly improper format."

From: Chris McNab (chris.mcnabat_private)
Date: Thu Apr 17 2003 - 10:42:46 PDT

  • Next message: Christopher W. Morris: "RE: LC4 (L0phtCrack) error "Couldn't open SAM\Domains\Account\Users in SAM file. Possibly improper format.""

    Hey,
    
    I am aware that in the UK at least, Ministry of Defence (MOD) and other
    government systems holding classified or restricted data often run NTSE (NT
    Secure Edition), which apparently is a government build of NT that doesn't
    use the standard SAM cryptographic format, and has been quoted as 'not
    vulnerable to L0phtCrack attacks' as the RC4-based stuff is. I can't find
    any reference to the CESG (UK government Communications and Electronic
    Security Group) NTSE build details on the web, so can't dig up any
    supporting evidence right now.
    
    Are these government or corporate systems that are supposed to be hardened
    in this fashion? If not, have you tried using the pwdump3.exe command-line
    tool to extract the hashes into an ASCII text file, then transport them?
    
    Regards,
    
    Chris
    
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: flexicon33at_private [mailto:flexicon33at_private]
    Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 2:25 PM
    To: pen-testat_private
    Subject: LC4 (L0phtCrack) error "Couldn't open SAM\Domains\Account\Users in
    SAM file. Possibly improper format."
    
    
    
    Hi,
    I'm trying to import some SAM files into LC4, and for some reason LC4
    doesn't like the format. I get the above error for any of 5 SAM files I'm
    trying.
    
    For a pen test, I got these sam files by senging a 'tptp put' command to
    the SQL server (had no 'sa' password) so the SAM files were sent to my tftp
    server. There were 5 of these servers, so I got 5 SAM files to try. LC4
    doesn't like any of them.
    
    However, LC4 works for other SAM files... I tested with my own SAM file
    (w2k) and also another I downloaded from a machine via an http exploit...
    LC4 had no problems opening those 2 and working on them.
    
    Why does LC4 complain about these other SAM files? Does some other sam
    format exist or did they get mangled somehow?
    Thanks...
    Flexicon33, CISSP
    
    
    Chris McNab
    Technical Director
    
    Matta Security Limited
    18 Noel Street
    London W1F 8GN
    
    Tel: 0870 077 1100
    Mob: 0788 626 0878
    
    
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