# Using gunzip for .gz files gunzip -c wordlist.gz | hashcat -m 0 -a 0 hashes.txt # Using 7z for .7z files 7z e wordlist.7z -so | hashcat -m 0 -a 0 hashes.txt Use code with caution.
: Formats like .7z or .rar are not natively supported for direct wordlist input. If you provide a .7z file, Hashcat may attempt to read the compressed binary data as plaintext, resulting in zero valid candidates. How to Use Compressed Wordlists in Hashcat 1. Native Direct Loading (Recommended)
: For massive files (e.g., 200GB+ compressed), Hashcat may take several minutes to "analyze" the file before cracking starts. hashcat compressed wordlist
Hashcat will detect the extension and decompress it in memory while processing. 2. Piping from Standard Input (Standard Unix Method)
: Standard format, though some users report occasional pathing issues on Windows if not in the same directory as the executable. # Using gunzip for
: Reading a smaller compressed file from a fast NVMe drive can sometimes be more efficient than reading the raw text, provided your CPU can keep up with decompression.
: Native loading allows Hashcat to build a .dictstat2 cache file. This significantly speeds up subsequent attacks on the same wordlist. How to Use Compressed Wordlists in Hashcat 1
: It’s easier to manage and transfer a single .zip or .gz file than a massive .txt file. Supported Compression Formats
Using a is a powerful technique for password recovery experts to manage massive datasets without exhausting disk space . Modern versions of Hashcat (v6.0.0 and later) support "on-the-fly" decompression, allowing you to feed compressed files directly into the tool. Why Use Compressed Wordlists?
: If you are cracking a "fast" hash (like MD5 or NTLM) at billions of hashes per second, your CPU’s decompression speed may become a bottleneck, slowing down your GPU. Using Hashcat to load a compressed wordlist - Super User