IP Library Granted Patent US 10,986,128
Granted Patent B1
US 10,986,128 · App. 16/369,253 · Granted Apr 20, 2021

Honeypot opaque credential recovery

Inventors: Thomas Eugene Sellers (Georgetown, TX); Derek Abdine (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA)
Assignee: Rapid7, Inc.
H04L63/1491G06F21/45
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,986,128
App. No.
16/369,253
Granted
Apr 20, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and processes for recovering opaque credentials in deception systems. A plaintext credential is received at a honeypot and a plaintext lookup table is accessed. It is determined that the plaintext credential does not exist in the plaintext lookup table and the plaintext credential is added to the plaintext lookup table and a protocol specific plaintext lookup table. An opaque credential is generated for the plaintext credential and the opaque credential is added to a protocol specific opaque lookup table.

Claims (89)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a plaintext credential at a honeypot;

accessing a plaintext lookup table;

determining that the plaintext credential does not exist in the plaintext lookup table;

adding the plaintext credential to the plaintext lookup table and to a protocol specific plaintext lookup table;

associating the plaintext credential in the plaintext lookup table to a specific protocol used by the honeypot for hashed credential exchange;

adding an attack context in which the plaintext credential was presented to the honeypot to the protocol specific plaintext lookup table;

generating an opaque credential for the plaintext credential; and

adding the opaque credential in association with the attack context and the specific protocol for the hashed credential exchange to a protocol specific opaque lookup table.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a registration operation with a credential manager by providing a table identifier and a protocol methodology; and

populating the plaintext lookup table from a plaintext password list.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein

the plaintext credential is received from an original attacker, and

the original attacker initiates an original attack event.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:

generating attack context metadata associated with the original attack event that comprises the attack context; and

storing the attack context metadata in the protocol specific opaque lookup table in association with the plaintext credential and the opaque credential.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:

receiving the opaque credential at the honeypot, wherein

the opaque credential is received from a subsequent attacker, and

the subsequent attacker initiates a subsequent attack event;

accessing the protocol specific opaque lookup table;

determining that the opaque credential received from the subsequent attacker as part of the subsequent attack event requires the specific protocol in the protocol specific opaque lookup table for the hashed credential exchange; and

recovering the plaintext credential associated with the opaque credential.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:

storing the opaque credential in a log generated for the original attack event, or

determining whether the opaque credential is comprised in a list of credentials the honeypot is configured to consider valid.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising:

exchanging the plaintext credential, the opaque credential, and the attack context metadata with a credential exchange manager.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable to:

receive a plaintext credential at a honeypot;

access a plaintext lookup table;

determine that the plaintext credential does not exist in the plaintext lookup table;

add the plaintext credential to the plaintext lookup table and to a protocol specific plaintext lookup table;

associate the plaintext credential in the plaintext lookup table to a specific protocol used by the honeypot for hashed credential exchange;

add an attack context in which the plaintext credential was presented to the honeypot to the protocol specific plaintext lookup table;

generate an opaque credential for the plaintext credential; and

add the opaque credential in association with the attack context and the specific protocol for the hashed credential exchange to a protocol specific opaque lookup table.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising:

performing a registration operation with a credential manager by providing a table identifier and a protocol methodology; and

populating the plaintext lookup table from a plaintext password list.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein

the plaintext credential is received from an original attacker, and

the original attacker initiates an original attack event.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:

generating attack context metadata associated with the original attack event that comprises the attack context; and

storing the attack context metadata in the protocol specific opaque lookup table in association with the plaintext credential and the opaque credential.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving the opaque credential at the honeypot, wherein

the opaque credential is received from a subsequent attacker, and

the subsequent attacker initiates a subsequent attack event;

accessing the protocol specific opaque lookup table;

determining that the opaque credential received from the subsequent attacker as part of the subsequent attack event requires the specific protocol in the protocol specific opaque lookup table for the hashed credential exchange; and

recovering the plaintext credential associated with the opaque credential.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

storing the opaque credential in a log generated for the original attack event, or determining whether the opaque credential is comprised in a list of credentials the honeypot is configured to consider valid.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:

exchanging the plaintext credential, the opaque credential, and the attack context metadata with a credential exchange manager.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the one or more processors to:

receive a plaintext credential at a honeypot;

access a plaintext lookup table;

determine that the plaintext credential does not exist in the plaintext lookup table;

add the plaintext credential to the plaintext lookup table and to a protocol specific plaintext lookup table;

associate the plaintext credential in the plaintext lookup table to a specific protocol used by the honeypot for hashed credential exchange;

add an attack context in which the plaintext credential was presented to the honeypot to the protocol specific plaintext lookup table;

generate an opaque credential for the plaintext credential; and

add the opaque credential in association with the attack context and the specific protocol for the hashed credential exchange to a protocol specific opaque lookup table.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

performing a registration operation with a credential manager by providing a table identifier and a protocol methodology; and

populating the plaintext lookup table from a plaintext password list.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein

the plaintext credential is received from an original attacker, and

the original attacker initiates an original attack event.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:

generating attack context metadata associated with the original attack event that comprises the attack context; and

storing the attack context metadata in the protocol specific opaque lookup table in association with the plaintext credential and the opaque credential.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving the opaque credential at the honeypot, wherein

the opaque credential is received from a subsequent attacker, and

the subsequent attacker initiates a subsequent attack event;

accessing the protocol specific opaque lookup table;

determining that the opaque credential received from the subsequent attacker as part of the subsequent attack event requires the specific protocol in the protocol specific opaque lookup table for the hashed credential exchange; and

recovering the plaintext credential associated with the opaque credential.

20. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:

storing the opaque credential in a log generated for the original attack event, or determining whether the opaque credential is comprised in a list of credentials the honeypot is configured to consider valid; and

exchanging the plaintext credential, the opaque credential, and the attack context metadata with a credential exchange manager.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2025
From: RAPID7, INC.; RAPID7 LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 071743/0537 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2024
From: KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: RAPID7, INC.
Reel/Frame 069785/0328 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: RAPID7, INC.
To: KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 052489/0939 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2019
From: SELLERS, THOMAS EUGENE; ABDINE, DEREK
To: RAPID7, INC.
Reel/Frame 049168/0992 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,495,074