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MD5 Hash
About MD5
MD5 is a widely used cryptographic hash function producing a 128-bit hash value (32 hexadecimal digits). While not suitable for security-critical applications, it's useful for checksums and data integrity verification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MD5 and how does it work?
MD5 is a cryptographic hash function that takes input data of any length and produces a fixed 128-bit (32 hexadecimal characters) hash value. The same input always produces the same hash, but it's computationally difficult to reverse-engineer the input from the hash.
Is MD5 secure for passwords?
No, MD5 is not secure for password storage due to vulnerabilities that allow collision attacks. For passwords, use stronger hashing algorithms like bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 with salt.
What are common uses for MD5?
MD5 is commonly used for file integrity checking (checksums), detecting data corruption, comparing large datasets, and identifying duplicate files. It's also used in version control systems and download verification.
Can two different inputs produce the same MD5 hash?
Yes, this is called a "collision." While theoretically possible, finding intentional collisions requires significant computational resources. However, this vulnerability is why MD5 isn't recommended for security applications.