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SY0-301 · Question #2

All of the following are valid cryptographic hash functions EXCEPT:

The correct answer is B. RC4. RC4 is a stream cipher used for encryption, not a cryptographic hash function. All other options are valid, well-known hash algorithms.

General security concepts

Question

All of the following are valid cryptographic hash functions EXCEPT:

Options

  • ARIPEMD
  • BRC4.
  • CSHA-512.
  • DMD4.

How the community answered

(41 responses)
  • A
    5% (2)
  • B
    93% (38)
  • C
    2% (1)

Why each option

RC4 is a stream cipher used for encryption, not a cryptographic hash function. All other options are valid, well-known hash algorithms.

ARIPEMD

RIPEMD (RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest) is a legitimate cryptographic hash function producing fixed-length digests, developed as part of the EU RIPE project.

BRC4.Correct

RC4 (Rivest Cipher 4) is a symmetric stream cipher used for encryption, meaning it produces variable-length encrypted output and is reversible with a key - properties fundamentally incompatible with a hash function, which must be one-way and produce a fixed-length digest.

CSHA-512.

SHA-512 is a widely used cryptographic hash function from NIST's Secure Hash Algorithm family, producing a 512-bit fixed-length digest.

DMD4.

MD4 is an early cryptographic hash function developed by Ron Rivest that produces a 128-bit digest, making it a hash function even though it is now considered cryptographically broken.

Concept tested: Distinguishing stream ciphers from hash functions

Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/hash-functions

Topics

#hash functions#RC4#stream cipher#cryptography

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