Hashcat is a powerful password recovery tool that can be used to crack passwords for various purposes, such as penetration testing and forensic analysis. In this article, we will cover the steps required to install hashcat on an Ubuntu machine. By following these steps, you will be able to set up hashcat on your system and use it for various password cracking tasks.

Before we begin, it is important to make sure that your Ubuntu system is up to date. Run the following command to update the package manager's database:

sudo apt update

Next, we will need to install some required packages. Run the following command to install the build-essential, pkg-config, and other necessary packages:

sudo apt install build-essential pkg-config

With the prerequisites out of the way, we can now proceed to download and extract hashcat. Go to the hashcat website (https://hashcat.net/) and download the latest version of hashcat. Once the download is complete, extract the downloaded file using the following command:

tar xvf hashcat-*.7z

Now that we have extracted the hashcat software, we can compile and install it. Navigate to the hashcat directory using the cd command and run the configure script:

cd hashcat-* ./configure

Next, run the make command to compile hashcat:

make

Finally, run the make install command to install hashcat:

make install

With the installation complete, it is a good idea to test the installation to make sure everything is working properly. Run the hashcat command to see the available options:

hashcat

If you see a list of options, it means that hashcat has been installed successfully. You can now use hashcat for various password cracking tasks.

In conclusion, installing hashcat on Ubuntu is a straightforward process that involves downloading and extracting the software, compiling and installing it, and testing the installation. By following the steps outlined in this article, you will be able to set up hashcat on your Ubuntu system and use it for various password cracking tasks.