210-250 · Question #38
Which hash algorithm is the weakest?
The correct answer is C. SHA-1. SHA-1 is the weakest hash algorithm listed because it produces only a 160-bit digest and has known, practical collision vulnerabilities that make it cryptographically broken.
Question
Which hash algorithm is the weakest?
Options
- ASHA-512
- BRSA 4096
- CSHA-1
- DSHA-256
How the community answered
(57 responses)- A2% (1)
- B9% (5)
- C86% (49)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
SHA-1 is the weakest hash algorithm listed because it produces only a 160-bit digest and has known, practical collision vulnerabilities that make it cryptographically broken.
SHA-512 is part of the SHA-2 family and produces a 512-bit digest, making it one of the strongest hash algorithms currently available.
RSA-4096 is an asymmetric encryption algorithm, not a hash function, so it cannot be compared on the same axis as SHA algorithms.
SHA-1 generates a 160-bit hash and was demonstrated to be practically collision-vulnerable by the SHAttered attack in 2017, where two different inputs were crafted to produce the same hash. NIST deprecated SHA-1 for most uses by 2011 and it is no longer considered secure for digital signatures or certificate integrity.
SHA-256 is part of the SHA-2 family with a 256-bit output and has no known practical collision vulnerabilities, making it significantly stronger than SHA-1.
Concept tested: Comparative strength of cryptographic hash algorithms
Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/hash-functions
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