# Exploitation

> PSK capture, cracking, and weak transform VPN access guides

- **URL:** https://hackindex.io/services/ike/exploitation
- **Service:** [IKE](https://hackindex.io/services/ike.md)
- **Published:** 2026-03-16
- **Updated:** 2026-03-29

IKE exploitation centers on cracking pre-shared keys captured from aggressive mode exchanges. When the VPN gateway responds in aggressive mode, it hands you a hash derived from the PSK that can be cracked offline with tools like psk-crack and hashcat.

Once you have a valid PSK, you can authenticate to the VPN and access the internal network. Credential brute-forcing against IKE gateways is also viable when aggressive mode is not available but the gateway accepts multiple authentication attempts.

## Guides

- [IKEv1 Aggressive Mode PSK Capture and Cracking](https://hackindex.io/services/ike/exploitation/ike-aggressive-mode-psk-capture.md): Exploit IKEv1 aggressive mode to capture PSK handshakes via ike-scan, then crack the hash offline using ike-crack or hashcat.
- [IKE Weak Transform Set Connection](https://hackindex.io/services/ike/exploitation/ike-weak-cipher-connection.md)