John the Ripper 特别善于查看弱密码，John the Ripper通过搜索常见密码列表查找匹配。它不像那些商用软件或Ophcrack那样擅长强密码，但是它工作在很多地方工作良好，比如当用户选了一个易 于记忆的密码。
新版本改进包括支持基于 MD5 加密 crypt(3) 和 Apache $apr1$ 哈希的破解，改进了 Raw MD4 破解等等，详细内容：
OpenMP support has been added for MD5-based crypt(3) and Apache $apr1$ hashes when building with SSE2 intrinsics, as well as for SAP CODVN B and SAP CODVN G. Raw MD4 has been enhanced with optional SSE2 intrinsics. The SSE2 intrinsics code for MD4, MD5, and SHA-1 has been pre-built with Intel's compiler into an assembly file, used with the new i-suffixed make targets. Support for occasional false positives or multiple correct guesses has been added and made use of for WinZip/AES and CRC-32. md5_gen has been renamed to dynamic. Numerous other fixes and enhancements have been made
