How do I create a message digest using openssl
?
The openssl
tool has a dgst
command which creates message digests. Here’s an example:
$ echo 'hello world' | openssl dgst -sha512 -hex
db3974a97f2407b7cae1ae637c0030687a11913274d578492558e39c16c017de84eacdc8c62fe34ee4e12b4b1428817f09b6a2760c3f8a664ceae94d2434a593
Various flags change the hash algorithm, e.g. -sha1
.
A useful flag is -hmac
, which lets you sign the content with a shared password:
$ echo 'hello world' | openssl dgst -sha1 -hex -hmac secret_password_1
61c587ccf0d9feebbe95fa866f003a1ae7651f8f
Similar posts
How do I generate random bytes with
openssl
? Generate random bytes with
openssl rand
, which uses a PRNG seeded with entropy from ~/.rnd
. 2017-03-10How do I encrypt text with
openssl
? Encrypt and decrypt text using the
openssl enc
command with a password and AES-256 cipher. The encrypted text is base64-encoded. 2017-03-09How do I fetch a server’s SSL certificate using
openssl
? Use the
openssl s_client
command to fetch a server’s SSL certificate chain, including the root certificate. 2017-03-11How do I hash a password with
openssl
? The
openssl passwd
command hashes passwords using the outdated crypt algorithm, with truncation to 8 characters - a poor choice for secure password hashing. 2017-03-12An encrypted diary using OpenSSL
Generate a master keypair. Encrypting each diary entry with a one-time shared secret. Encrypt the shared secret with the public key. Decrypt entries using the private key and the shared secret. 2017-12-03
What is ASN.1?
ASN.1 is a data format used to encode structured data like RSA private keys and certificate signing requests. Using
openssl asn1parse
to reveal its structure. 2017-11-30More by Jim
What does the dot do in JavaScript?
foo.bar
, foo.bar()
, or foo.bar = baz
- what do they mean? A deep dive into prototypical inheritance and getters/setters. 2020-11-01Smear phishing: a new Android vulnerability
Trick Android to display an SMS as coming from any contact. Convincing phishing vuln, but still unpatched. 2020-08-06
A probabilistic pub quiz for nerds
A “true or false” quiz where you respond with your confidence level, and the optimal strategy is to report your true belief. 2020-04-26
Time is running out to catch COVID-19
Simulation shows it’s rational to deliberately infect yourself with COVID-19 early on to get treatment, but after healthcare capacity is exceeded, it’s better to avoid infection. Includes interactive parameters and visualizations. 2020-03-14
The inception bar: a new phishing method
A new phishing technique that displays a fake URL bar in Chrome for mobile. A key innovation is the “scroll jail” that traps the user in a fake browser. 2019-04-27
The hacker hype cycle
I got started with simple web development, but because enamored with increasingly esoteric programming concepts, leading to a “trough of hipster technologies” before returning to more productive work. 2019-03-23
Project C-43: the lost origins of asymmetric crypto
Bob invents asymmetric cryptography by playing loud white noise to obscure Alice’s message, which he can cancel out but an eavesdropper cannot. This idea, published in 1944 by Walter Koenig Jr., is the forgotten origin of asymmetric crypto. 2019-02-16
How Hacker News stays interesting
Hacker News buried my post on conspiracy theories in my family due to overheated discussion, not censorship. Moderation keeps the site focused on interesting technical content. 2019-01-26
My parents are Flat-Earthers
For decades, my parents have been working up to Flat-Earther beliefs. From Egyptology to Jehovah’s Witnesses to theories that human built the Moon billions of years in the future. Surprisingly, it doesn’t affect their successful lives very much. For me, it’s a fun family pastime. 2019-01-20
The dots do matter: how to scam a Gmail user
Gmail’s “dots don’t matter” feature lets scammers create an account on, say, Netflix, with your email address but different dots. Results in convincing phishing emails. 2018-04-07
The sorry state of OpenSSL usability
OpenSSL’s inadequate documentation, confusing key formats, and deprecated interfaces make it difficult to use, despite its importance. 2017-12-02
I hate telephones
I hate telephones. Some rational reasons: lack of authentication, no spam filtering, forced synchronous communication. But also just a visceral fear. 2017-11-08
The Three Ts of Time, Thought and Typing: measuring cost on the web
Businesses often tout “free” services, but the real costs come in terms of time, thought, and typing required from users. Reducing these “Three Ts” is key to improving sign-up flows and increasing conversions. 2017-10-26
Granddad died today
Granddad died. The unspoken practice of death-by-dehydration in the NHS. The Liverpool Care Pathway. Assisted dying in the UK. The importance of planning in end-of-life care. 2017-05-19
How do I call a program in C, setting up standard pipes?
A C function to create a new process, set up its standard input/output/error pipes, and return a struct containing the process ID and pipe file descriptors. 2017-02-17
Your syntax highlighter is wrong
Syntax highlighters make value judgments about code. Most highlighters judge that comments are cruft, and try to hide them. Most diff viewers judge that code deletions are bad. 2014-05-11
Want to build a fantastic product using LLMs? I work at Granola where we're building the future IDE for knowledge work. Come and work with us! Read more or get in touch!
This page copyright James Fisher 2017. Content is not associated with my employer. Found an error? Edit this page.