HAVAL128,3 hash

 

About HAVAL128,3 hash

HAVAL (HAsh of VAriable Length) is a cryptographic hash function designed by Yuliang Zheng, Josef Pieprzyk, and Jennifer Seberry. It was developed in the late 1990s and comes in different variants based on the output length and number of compression rounds. HAVAL128,3 specifically refers to one variant of HAVAL.

Characteristics of HAVAL128,3

  1. Output Size:

    • HAVAL128,3 produces a fixed-length output of 128 bits (16 bytes).

  2. Compression Rounds:

    • HAVAL operates by dividing the input data into blocks and processing them through multiple rounds of a compression function.
    • The number '3' in HAVAL128,3 indicates that the hash function uses 3 compression rounds.

  3. Initialization Vector and Key:

    • HAVAL uses an initialization vector and a secret key during the compression process.
    • The specific initialization values and key setup are crucial for ensuring the security and effectiveness of the hash function.

  4. Properties:

    • HAVAL was designed to provide variable-length hash outputs (128, 160, 192, 224, or 256 bits) based on different variants (HAVAL128, HAVAL160, HAVAL192, HAVAL224, HAVAL256).
    • It aims to provide strong collision resistance and pre-image resistance properties, suitable for cryptographic applications.

Usage

  • Applications: HAVAL128,3 and other variants of HAVAL were initially used in various cryptographic applications where data integrity and security were paramount.

  • Implementation: Implementing HAVAL involves carefully following the specifications for initialization, compression rounds, and finalization to ensure the correct and secure computation of hash values.

Security Considerations

  • HAVAL128,3 was considered secure when it was introduced, but over time, cryptographic standards have evolved, and some weaknesses have been identified in certain variants of HAVAL.
  • It is recommended to use newer and more widely vetted cryptographic hash functions (such as SHA-2 or SHA-3) for applications requiring strong security guarantees.

Summary

HAVAL128,3 is a variant of the HAVAL cryptographic hash function that produces a 128-bit hash output using 3 compression rounds. It was designed to offer variable-length hash outputs and strong cryptographic properties. While it was once considered secure, advancements in cryptography have led to newer and more secure hash functions being preferred for modern cryptographic applications.