MSSQL(2008) Hash

What is MSSQL(2008)?

The **MSSQL(2008)** hash format, introduced in Microsoft SQL Server 2008, is a proprietary password hashing scheme designed to store user credentials in a reversible yet secure manner within the database engine. Structurally, it combines a **SHA-1-based** hash with a **custom salt-and-iteration** mechanism, though not in the modern sense of cryptographic salting. The format stores passwords as a **fixed-length 32-byte (256-bit) binary hash**, where the first 16 bytes represent the **SHA-1 hash of the plaintext password**, followed by a **16-byte salted hash** derived from the password using a proprietary algorithm. Unlike modern schemes like PBKDF2 or bcrypt, MSSQL(2008) lacks a formalized salt integration, instead relying on a **static salt derivation** tied to the database instance, which is embedded within the hash itself. Its primary use-case was internal authentication within SQL Server, where performance and compatibility outweighed advanced security considerations, enabling legacy applications to retrieve plaintext passwords via proprietary functions like `sp_help_revoked_login`.

The **vulnerability of MSSQL(2008)** stems from its **lack of proper salting, weak iteration count, and susceptibility to GPU/ASIC optimization**. The static salt derivation (often a truncated instance ID or fixed value) renders it vulnerable to **rainbow table attacks**, as the same salt may be reused across multiple hashes. Additionally, the reliance on SHA-1—now cryptographically broken due to collision vulnerabilities—makes it prone to **precomputed attacks** and **brute-force cracking** when combined with weak iteration schemes. Modern hardware acceleration (GPUs, FPGAs) can process MSSQL(2008) hashes at **tens of millions per second**, further exacerbating its insecurity. Unlike modern hashes, it lacks adaptive work factors, meaning cracking times scale poorly with computational advancements, and its reversible design (via SQL Server’s internal functions) effectively negates any pretense of security.

Identifying MSSQL(2008) Hashes

Identifying a hash blindly is often difficult because multiple algorithms can output strings of the exact same length. For example, a standard 32-character hexadecimal string could be MD5, NTLM, MD4, or LM. To definitively identify MSSQL(2008), security researchers analyze the hash against a strict regular expression (regex) signature (shown above) to find structural matches.

How to Crack MSSQL(2008)

If you need to recover the plaintext password for a MSSQL(2008) hash during a penetration test or forensics investigation, you must supply the correct module ID to your cracking software. Use the exact commands provided at the top of this page to target the hash successfully.