Hashing Algorithms (MD5, SHA, RIPEMD, Tiger, Whirlpool) and HMAC ECES Practice Questions (Page 1)

Questions 1–5

1. 1foundation · easy

   What is a key difference between SHA-2 and SHA-3?

   • ASHA-2 is based on AES, while SHA-3 is based on a custom permutation.
   • BSHA-2 produces variable-length digests, while SHA-3 produces only fixed-length digests.
   • CSHA-2 uses a Merkle–Damgård structure, while SHA-3 uses a sponge construction.
   • DSHA-2 is a keyed hash, while SHA-3 is unkeyed.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
2. 2expert · hard

   A developer is building a file-integrity monitoring tool for a 64-bit embedded system with very limited memory. The tool must produce a 192-bit digest and be fast on 64-bit CPUs. The developer is considering Tiger, but is concerned about its security compared to SHA-2. What is the most accurate assessment?

   • ATiger is broken and should never be used
   • BTiger is as secure as SHA-256 and is a good choice
   • CTiger is less secure than SHA-256 and should not be used
   • DTiger is suitable if the threat model accepts a less-analyzed algorithm
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
4. 3foundation · easy

   Which of the following best describes the RIPEMD-160 hash function?

   • AIt produces a 128-bit digest and is based on the AES block cipher.
   • BIt produces a 256-bit digest and uses a sponge construction.
   • CIt produces a 512-bit digest and is optimized for 64-bit processors.
   • DIt produces a 160-bit digest and is designed as a strengthened alternative to the original RIPEMD.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
5. 4expert · hard

   A security researcher is analyzing a protocol that uses MD5 for integrity checks. The researcher finds that an attacker can create two different messages with the same MD5 hash. Which property of MD5 is broken in this scenario?

   • ASecond preimage resistance
   • BPreimage resistance
   • CCollision resistance
   • DAvalanche effect
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
6. 5application · medium

   A team is designing a protocol where two parties share a secret key and need to authenticate each message. They are debating between using HMAC-SHA256 and simply encrypting the message with AES-CBC and using a hash of the ciphertext. Which approach provides the most robust message authentication?

   • AHMAC-SHA256 over the ciphertext
   • BAES-CBC encryption alone
   • CA CRC32 checksum of the ciphertext
   • DA plain SHA-256 hash of the ciphertext
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first