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Cryptographic Hash Functions — Hash Algorithms

A concise, CLI-focused collection of hash algorithm demos and utilities. This folder contains educational implementations and wrappers for common hash algorithms used for integrity, fingerprinting, and password hashing.

Folder Structure

Modules/
└── Cryptographic_Hash_Functions/
		└── Hash_Algorithms/
				├── SHA1.py
				├── SHA256.py
				├── SHA3.py
				├── BLAKE2.py
				└── HMAC.py

Supported Modules

Module Algorithm Library Category Typical Use
SHA1.py SHA-1 hashlib Hash Legacy checksums (not recommended)
SHA256.py SHA-256 hashlib Hash File integrity, password hashing input
SHA3.py SHA-3 (Keccak) hashlib Hash Alternative SHA family, different internal structure
BLAKE2.py BLAKE2b / BLAKE2s hashlib Hash Fast, secure hashing (recommended)
HMAC.py HMAC (SHA-256/others) hmac, hashlib MAC Message authentication codes

Installation

This module uses Python's standard hashlib and hmac libraries; no external packages are required for the core demos. If you prefer an optimized BLAKE2 implementation, ensure your Python is recent (3.6+) or install a specialized library.

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

CLI Menu Structure

Each script follows a simple interactive pattern:

--- <MODULE NAME> ---
	Category    : Cryptographic Hash Functions
	Algorithm   : <SHA-256 / BLAKE2 / ...>

	1. Hash text input
	2. Hash a file
	3. Compare hashes
	4. How <ALGORITHM> Works
	5. Back

Module Details

SHA-1

Simple wrapper demonstrating SHA-1 hashing for legacy compatibility. Contains file and text hashing helpers and a note about deprecation and collision risks.

SHA-256

Demonstrates SHA-256 hashing of strings and files. Shows hex and base64 outputs and how to use it for simple password hashing inputs (not a password hash function by itself).

SHA-3

Provides examples using the SHA-3 family via hashlib.sha3_256. Explains the Keccak sponge construction briefly.

BLAKE2

Demonstrates hashlib.blake2b and hashlib.blake2s. Shows keyed hashing (MAC-like) usage and performance notes.

HMAC

Implements HMAC wrappers using hmac + hashlib with selectable digest algorithms. Demonstrates verification and secure comparison using hmac.compare_digest.

Output Formats

  • Hex digest (default)
  • Base64 (optional)
  • Raw bytes (for file output)

Example:

Text: hello
SHA256 (hex): 2cf24dba5fb0a... 
SHA256 (base64): LPH...=

Security Notes

  • SHA-1 is deprecated for security-sensitive use — use SHA-256 or better.
  • Use a KDF (PBKDF2, scrypt, argon2) when hashing passwords — raw hashes are insufficient.
  • For MACs, use HMAC with a secure key; do not use raw hashes with a secret key.
  • When hashing files, process them in streaming chunks to avoid excessive memory use.

Quick Math Summary

  • SHA family: compression-based Merkle–Damgård or sponge (SHA-3) constructions
  • BLAKE2: ALEPHBLAKE-inspired design optimized for software
  • HMAC: H(K XOR opad || H(K XOR ipad || message)) — secure keyed MAC

Integration

Import helpers directly:

from Modules.Cryptographic_Hash_Functions.Hash_Algorithms.SHA256 import hash_text
hash_text("hello world")

Design Goals

  • Provide simple, clear examples that show how to compute and verify hashes.
  • Encourage safe practices (avoid SHA-1, use KDFs for passwords, use HMAC for authentication).
  • Keep demos small and easy to run from the CLI.