AI doesn't just guess passwords anymore; it is learning them. Passwords that took hackers years to crack can now be cracked in seconds with machine learning models. Weak, short, or reused passwords are essentially unlocked doors for AI-powered cracking machines.

AI Password Cracking in 2025: Key Findings

AI-powered password cracking has become dramatically faster in 2025, with 85.6% of common passwords now crackable in under 10 seconds[1]. This acceleration stems from two main factors: advanced AI models that learn password patterns and powerful consumer GPUs.

Hardware Advances

The latest consumer graphics cards, particularly the RTX 5090, have transformed password cracking capabilities. Hive Systems reports that a setup of 12 RTX 5090s is now used as the benchmark for modern password cracking attempts[2].

Time to Crack by Password Type

For bcrypt-hashed passwords (work factor 10):

  • 8 characters or less: Instant crack regardless of complexity
  • 10 characters with mixed characters: 27 years
  • 12 characters with mixed characters: 244,000 years
  • 16 characters with mixed characters: 19 trillion years[2:1]

AI’s Impact

AI tools like PassGAN have revolutionized cracking by:

  • Learning common password patterns
  • Recognizing user habits like capitalizing first letters
  • Predicting likely passwords instead of random guessing[1:1]

Security Recommendations

Recent findings emphasize:

  • Length over complexity (minimum 16 characters)
  • Use of password managers
  • Implementation of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Adoption of passkeys where available[3]

  1. Messente - How Quickly Can AI Crack Your Password? ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Hive Systems - Are Your Passwords in the Green? ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. Forbes - AI Can Crack Your Passwords Fast—6 Tips To Stay Secure ↩︎

    • MeThisGuy@feddit.nl
      4·
      4 days ago

      more like 2 weeks.

      with M$ authentication app or physical hardware key at hand.
      and everytime you have to log back in.

    • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      2·
      4 days ago

      They also have us using Windows (albeit 11) in 2025.

      Not my machine. I don’t question their policies. I just abide by them. I’ll occasionally make wisecracks about how my Macs don’t do this bullshit or that bullshit, but the truth is, Mac has some bullshit that Windows doesn’t, too. It goes both ways. And then there’s Linux, which I think is morally superior to an extent but also requires more upkeep. Anyway, any real geek knows you really can’t get away from the bullshit if you use a computer. It’s just fun to say this vs that, like car guys with Ford and Chevy.

        • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          2·
          2 days ago

          Yep, all too common. Despite the training videos we all must pass telling us NOT to do that.

          Fun fact, one of those training videos is a series of videos with no quiz attached, you just watch a ~5 minute episode of a training-centric parody of The Office… and one of the characters has anime fan art in their cubicle. Not official art. Fan art. One of them is Killua from HUNTERxHUNTER, an 11 or 12 year old boy with psychokinetic powers. Nothing lewd (in any of the fan art) but some cool characters that pretty much only anime fans would recognise. And as an anime fan I’m just looking at this like “why?” I don’t feel like my demograph (anime fan) needed to be appealed to in a corporate training video, but here we are.

            • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
              2·
              2 days ago

              I’ve seen some from knowb4 as well.

              I don’t think HR cares about the quality of the videos. I think, by offering the videos at all, they check a box that says they tried.

              • redsand@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                1·
                2 days ago

                And sometimes someone gets a referral fee off the top. You’ve got the idea, it’s a box they’re checking for insurance or a compliance rating.