1 |
On Tue, Jul 22, 2003 at 11:42:26PM -0700, Fred Van Andel wrote: |
2 |
> As for the security of MD5, there is no published instance of anyone |
3 |
> finding 2 different datasets that produce an identical hash value. MD5 |
4 |
> is a 128 bit hash algorithm so in theory it would be be required to |
5 |
> calculate approximately 1.2 * sqrt(2^128) different hashes in order to |
6 |
> have a 50% chance of a single collision. That would require > 350 |
7 |
> billion gigabytes just to store the hashes. I believe MD5 to be secure |
8 |
> enough for this application. |
9 |
I'd be VERY careful with this. |
10 |
http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/faq/3-6-6.html |
11 |
|
12 |
I've seen much more recent research into it myself, along with a way of |
13 |
making it SIGNIFICENTLY more difficult to break. |
14 |
|
15 |
Namely, store the correct filesize along with the MD5 sum in a |
16 |
verifiable fashion. Having file containing a list of tarballs and their |
17 |
sizes, then providing a GPG signature for that file makes solves the |
18 |
issue to a level such that even all the computers in the world in 10 |
19 |
years could not beat it [famous last words, after seeing the |
20 |
crypto-attack on RSA keys using a massive NFS setup]. |
21 |
|
22 |
-- |
23 |
Robin Hugh Johnson |
24 |
E-Mail : robbat2@××××××××××××××.net |
25 |
Home Page : http://www.orbis-terrarum.net/?l=people.robbat2 |
26 |
ICQ# : 30269588 or 41961639 |
27 |
GnuPG FP : 11AC BA4F 4778 E3F6 E4ED F38E B27B 944E 3488 4E85 |