MD5
The MD5 (Message-Digest Algorithm 5) is a widely used cryptographic hash function that produces a 128-bit (16-byte) hash value. Specified in RFC 1321, MD5 has been utilized in a wide variety of security applications, and is also commonly used to check data integrity. MD5 was designed by 'Ron Rivest' in 1991 to replace an earlier hash function, MD4. An MD5 hash is typically expressed as a hexadecimal number, 32 digits long.[1]
However, it has since been shown that MD5 is not collision resistant; as such, MD5 is not suitable for applications like SSL certificates or digital signatures that rely on this property. [...][1]
WARNING:
MD5 should not be used anylonger for cryptographic operations!
Documentation
Request for Comments (RFC)
- 1321 - The MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm [EN]
- 6151 - Updated Security Considerations for the MD5 Message-Digest and the HMAC-MD5 Algorithms [EN]