How to Install Hydra on Linux Mint

The core reason to learn how to install Hydra on Linux Mint is to improve further the security of systems, which is precisely what we’re here to help you do. 

A password is the first line of defense that protects computers or networks. Weak passwords can’t be considered as any measure of security. With numerous methods of attacks, easy-to-guess passwords can be regarded as a minimum security system. Let’s have a glance at Hydra, making it an essential security feature on Linux Mint.

Introduction to Hydra

Hydra is a parallelized network login cracker that supports numerous protocols to attack. Hydra is a well-known software used to crack passwords and login into computers, systems, and networks. It is simple, fast, and reliable, which means Hydra is ideal for those with easy-to-guess passwords but not so adept at more complex login systems. This tool makes it possible for researchers and security consultants to show how easy it would be to gain unauthorized access to a system remotely.

How to Install Hydra on Linux Mint

Hydra supports many standard login protocols like forms on websites, FTP, SMB, POP3, IMAP, MySQL, VNC, SSH, HTTPS(S), and others. Hydra comes preinstalled in systems like Kali Linux and Parrot. Here we’ll show you how to install Hydra in Linux Mint.  

Now, if you are thinking about how to install Hydra on Linux Mint, there is nothing to worry about, as we’re here to help you throughout the process. There are three ways to install the Hydra tool on the Linux Mint system. 

Open Up The Terminal and Update the Current Package List

First, we need to open the Terminal. This can be done by pressing “Ctrl + Alt + T”. Now, run the sudo apt update command to update the package list. It will grab the latest version of all the software from the repository without installing them.

$ sudo apt update

Installing Through  Repository

Installing through this won’t install the latest version. To install the Hydra on the Linux Mint system, the following command needs to be executed:

$ sudo apt install hydra-gtk

After running the above command, you will get the Hydra tool on your Linux Mint system. To remove the Hydra from the same repository we have downloaded, use the command:

$ sudo apt purge hydra-gtk && sudo apt autorenove && sudo apt autoclean

Installing Hydra on Mint Through Source

With this method, we can install the latest update of Hydra. The following steps should be executed carefully. Install the required essentials with the help of the command:

$ sudo apt-get install -y install build-essentials

We need to install the git in the system as it is requisite. For this, we execute the command:

$ sudo apt install git

Now, clone the repository from GitHub through the following command:

$ git clone https://github.com/vanhauser-thc/thc-hydra.git

Navigate the current directory to the cloned directory:

$ cd thc-hydra

Once located towards the cloned directory, we now need to configure it:

$ ./configure

Now we can see a message like now type “make”. It means there’s nothing wrong with the above operations. So type “make” and continue the process:

$ make

Now, you will be asked to install it in the next step. It needs sudo privileges, so you need the run the command as:

$ sudo make install

Now, it is installed in your Linux Mint, and you don’t need to continue with the cloned directory. So, type cd  in the terminal to go back to the home directory:

$ cd

Use the “hydra -help” command in the home directory and look into the instructions. With this, we can find ensure that the hydra tool is installed and working correctly or not:

$ hydra -help

Installing Hydra on Linux Mint Through GUI

To get the Hydra tool on Linux Mint through the graphical user interface, we need to open the Software Manager first and then search “Hydra” in the search bar. Then we get a list of multiple options. Here we need to click on “Hydra-GTK”.

As the subsequent page loads, we need to click on the Install button to let the installation begin. When the installation process is completed, we can get two options Launch and Remove. Now, launch Hydra by clicking on the Launch button.

You will get this application on your screen. Which means you’re all set to use Hydra.

Hydra uses tools to send a barrage of passwords to guess login information. Most people have simple passwords that can be easily guessed from your online presence; for example, the name of their loved one, a birthday, a favorite sports team, etc. With enough social engineering and an unlimited number of guesses, the likelihood of finding the correct password is high. 

Hydra makes this an automated process by systematically going through each password in a generated list until it finds the right one.

It isn’t incredibly complex hacking, but it works due to its simplicity and the significant number of passwords it throws at the login. The simplest and most reliable way to defend against Hydra attacks is to make your password hard to crack using a mix of symbols and numbers.

Another defense is to automatically block or disable account access after a certain number of failed authentication attempts.

In this guide, we have discussed the ways of installing Hydra. We also looked at the importance of strong passwords, how hydra works, and how to defend against Hydra attacks.

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