help_crack.py fails after ~5–7 work units (server returns HTML error / HTTP 412 instead of JSON)

[puppetma4ster]

When running help_crack.py, the client works normally for a few work units (~5–7 jobs). After that, the server responses become invalid and the client can no longer parse work packages.

Instead of valid JSON, the server returns PHP error output or HTTP errors.
i modified the script so it outputs the server response:

Example Output

Status...........: Exhausted                                                                                                                                                                  
Hash.Mode........: 22000 (WPA-PBKDF2-PMKID+EAPOL)                                                                                                                                             
Hash.Target......: help_crack.hash                                                                                                                                                            
Time.Started.....: Wed Jun  3 18:05:39 2026 (2 mins, 15 secs)                                                                                                                                 
Time.Estimated...: Wed Jun  3 18:07:54 2026 (0 secs)                                                                                                                                          
Kernel.Feature...: Pure Kernel (password length 8-63 bytes)                                                                                                                                   
Guess.Base.......: File (os.txt.gz)                                                                                                                                                           
Guess.Mod........: Rules (help_crack.rules)                                                                                                                                                   
Guess.Queue......: 3/3 (100.00%)                                                                                                                                                              
Speed.#01........:   826.4 kH/s (486.71ms) @ Accel:59 Loops:1024 Thr:1024 Vec:1                                                                                                               
Recovered........: 1/8 (12.50%) Digests (total), 1/8 (12.50%) Digests (new)                                                                                                                   
Progress.........: 101638233/101638233 (100.00%)                                                                                                                                              
Rejected.........: 0/101638233 (0.00%)                                                                                                                                                        
Restore.Point....: 101638233/101638233 (100.00%)                                                                                                                                              
Restore.Sub.#01..: Salt:0 Amplifier:0-1 Iteration:7-15                                                                                                                                        
Candidate.Engine.: Host Generator + PCIe                                                                                                                                                      
Candidates.#01...: zusterschap5 -> azzZuncKq9oOxP                                                                                                                                             
Hardware.Mon.#01.: Temp: 67c Fan: 75% Util: 69% Core:1807MHz Mem:1218MHz Bus:16                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                                              
Started: Wed Jun  3 18:03:43 2026                                                                                                                                                             
Stopped: Wed Jun  3 18:07:55 2026                                                                                                                                                             
Key for bssid 2a56272da3a3 is: 78971647                                                                                                                                                       
Incrementing dictionary count to 4, last duration 252s                                                                                                                                        
"<br />\n<b>Warning</b>:  Undefined array key 0 in <b>/var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>350</b><br />\n<br />\n<b>Warning</b>:  Trying to access array offset on null in <b
>/var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>350</b><br />\n<br />\n<b>Deprecated</b>:  explode(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($string) of type string is deprecated in <b>/var/www
/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>350</b><br />\n<br />\n<b>Fatal error</b>:  Uncaught mysqli_sql_exception: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that correspond
s to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ') AND\n                       n2d.net_id = n.net_id)\nORDER BY hits, ts\nLIMIT 10' at line 13 in /var/www/wpa-sec/content/get
_work.php:354\nStack trace:\n#0 /var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php(354): mysqli_stmt-&gt;prepare()\n#1 /var/www/wpa-sec/public/index.php(264): require('...')\n#2 {main}\n  thrown in <b>/v
ar/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>354</b><br />\n"                                                                                                                           
Server response error                                                                                                                                                                         
Exception: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)
Sleeping...            
"<br />\n<b>Warning</b>:  Undefined array key 0 in <b>/var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>350</b><br />\n<br />\n<b>Warning</b>:  Trying to access array offset on null in <b
>/var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>350</b><br />\n<br />\n<b>Deprecated</b>:  explode(): Passing null to parameter #2 ($string) of type string is deprecated in <b>/var/www
/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>350</b><br />\n<br />\n<b>Fatal error</b>:  Uncaught mysqli_sql_exception: You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that correspond
s to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ') AND\n                       n2d.net_id = n.net_id)\nORDER BY hits, ts\nLIMIT 10' at line 13 in /var/www/wpa-sec/content/get
_work.php:354\nStack trace:\n#0 /var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php(354): mysqli_stmt-&gt;prepare()\n#1 /var/www/wpa-sec/public/index.php(264): require('...')\n#2 {main}\n  thrown in <b>/v
ar/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>354</b><br />\n"
Server response error
Exception: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed
Sleeping...
^C
Ctrl-C caught. I'm out.

I’d really like to contribute to the project, but I consistently get this bug and getting flagged and end up stuck in a ~1 hour cooldown :(

I am Using

• ubuntu
• hashcat v7.1.2
• help_crack.py 2.2.0

[ShiftaDeband]

I am also seeing the same issue occasionally, then getting stuck in the 1-hour cooldown. Seems to be very inconsistent.

Edit: What's confusing is that the version of get_work.php in this repo doesn't seem to have the issue - is this a possible deployment issue with older code or similar? (Also, the line numbers don't match at least at first glance, so I'm unsure what might be going on here)

[RealEnder]

In prod version I've added some more checks, which are in testing. Did some simple changes, let's see.
The whole network selection process needs rewrite.

[puppetma4ster]

Thanks, I'll try it right away and let you know if it worked

[puppetma4ster]

It seems like I can let it run longer now. But after two hours, I got another cooldown.

Hardware.Mon.#01.: Temp: 55c Fan:100% Util: 76% Core:2213MHz Mem:   0MHz Bus:16                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                                              
Started: Thu Jun 11 21:54:12 2026                                                                                                                                                             
Stopped: Thu Jun 11 22:02:30 2026                                                                                                                                                             
Key for bssid 3293e62a0972 is: 19771109                                                                                                                                                       
Decrementing dictionary count to 1, last duration 498s                                                                                                                                        
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out                                                                                                                                        
Sleeping...                                                                                                                                                                                   
Remote request exception: The read operation timed out                                                                                                                                        
Sleeping...                                                                                                                                                                                   
"<br />\n<b>Fatal error</b>:  Uncaught mysqli_sql_exception: Lock wait timeout exceeded; try restarting transaction in /var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php:229\nStack trace:\n#0 /var/www/wp
a-sec/content/get_work.php(229): mysqli_stmt-&gt;execute()\n#1 /var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php(401): insert_n2d()\n#2 /var/www/wpa-sec/public/index.php(264): require('...')\n#3 {main}\
n  thrown in <b>/var/www/wpa-sec/content/get_work.php</b> on line <b>229</b><br />\n"                                                                                                         
Server response error                                                                                                                                                                         
Exception: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)                                                                                                                                          
Sleeping...                                                                                                                                                                                   
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed                                                                                                                                 
Sleeping...                                                                                                                                                                                   
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed                                                                                                                                 
Sleeping...                                                                                                                                                                                   
Remote request exception: HTTP Error 412: Precondition Failed                                                                                                                                 
Sleeping...                                                 ```

[RealEnder]

Hm, this is another issue, will try to look at it in the next days