312-50V9 · Question #163
Which of the following can take an arbitrary length of input and produce a message digest output of 160 bit?
The correct answer is A. SHA-1. SHA-1 is the hashing algorithm that takes arbitrary-length input and produces a fixed 160-bit message digest. The other options produce different output sizes.
Question
Which of the following can take an arbitrary length of input and produce a message digest output of 160 bit?
Options
- ASHA-1
- BMD5
- CHAVAL
- DMD4
How the community answered
(17 responses)- A94% (16)
- B6% (1)
Why each option
SHA-1 is the hashing algorithm that takes arbitrary-length input and produces a fixed 160-bit message digest. The other options produce different output sizes.
SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1) is specifically designed to accept input of any length and produce a fixed 160-bit (20-byte) message digest. This property makes it uniquely identifiable among common hashing algorithms by its output size, and it was widely used for digital signatures and certificate hashing before being deprecated for stronger alternatives.
MD5 produces a 128-bit message digest, not 160 bits.
HAVAL is a variable-length hash function that can produce outputs of 128, 160, 192, 224, or 256 bits, so it is not specifically defined by a 160-bit output.
MD4 produces a 128-bit message digest, not 160 bits.
Concept tested: SHA-1 hash function output size
Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/fips/180/4/final
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