How is it that tools like Hashcat, JTR able to bruteforce an NTLMv2 hashes?

With regards to the following question about the feasibility of (brute|dictionary|rainbowtable)-forcing an NTLMv2 hash:
How feasible is it for an attacker to brute-force an NTLMv2 response captured off the network?

..I’m try… Continue reading How is it that tools like Hashcat, JTR able to bruteforce an NTLMv2 hashes?

Why won’t pdf2john extract the password hash of this encrypted pdf? Getting blank results

New to the community, and to JtR and Hashcat as a whole, but after searching for a few days I couldn’t find a solution to this specific problem.

I have a password protected PDF file that I’m trying to crack to prove to a friend of mine th… Continue reading Why won’t pdf2john extract the password hash of this encrypted pdf? Getting blank results