4 ms·

Kinda? But there's infinite number of other things that will hash to that same value. So you can assume (probably with good certainty) that you've got the corr

Kinda? But there's infinite number of other things that will hash to that same value. So you can assume (probably with good certainty) that you've got the correct password, but you can't be sure. So pedantically speaking, it's not really reversible.

zamfi 7y ago
> So you can assume (probably with good certainty) that you've got the correct password, but you can't be sure. That's assuming no other constraints. If the constraints on the password are strong enough (for example, must include letters, numbers, special characters, and be less than 30 characters) that there really may be only one input that satisfies those constraints and also hashes to the found value.
- aaomidi 7y ago
  100% true.
skykooler 7y ago
True. However, in most circumstances, finding a input that hashes to that value is equivalent to reversing the hash. For example, if your password is "password", and that hashes to "blahblah", and I find that "foobar" also hashes to "blahblah", then I can log into your account with password "foobar" even though that wasn't your original password.
- oarsinsync 7y ago
  > However, in most circumstances, finding a input that hashes to that value is equivalent to reversing the hash. In most circumstances, is guessing your smartphone's pin code is equivalent to hacking the security of your phone? In both examples, the end result is the same, but the process is absolutely not. Reversing a hash is a general solution that can be reapplied in all circumstances, much like finding a security exploit to bypass the lockscreen of your phone. Looking up a hash in a rainbow table that matches is much like guessing your PIN. It works for that one specific case. It is not a generalised solution across the board.
chpmrc 7y ago
I appreciate that you specified "pedantically". A whole thread on an inaccurate use of the word "reverse". Oh boy!

zamfi 7y ago

> So you can assume (probably with good certainty) that you've got the correct password, but you can't be sure. That's assuming no other constraints. If the constraints on the password are strong enough (for example, must include letters, numbers, special characters, and be less than 30 characters) that there really may be only one input that satisfies those constraints and also hashes to the found value.

aaomidi 7y ago
100% true.

skykooler 7y ago

True. However, in most circumstances, finding a input that hashes to that value is equivalent to reversing the hash. For example, if your password is "password", and that hashes to "blahblah", and I find that "foobar" also hashes to "blahblah", then I can log into your account with password "foobar" even though that wasn't your original password.

oarsinsync 7y ago
> However, in most circumstances, finding a input that hashes to that value is equivalent to reversing the hash. In most circumstances, is guessing your smartphone's pin code is equivalent to hacking the security of your phone? In both examples, the end result is the same, but the process is absolutely not. Reversing a hash is a general solution that can be reapplied in all circumstances, much like finding a security exploit to bypass the lockscreen of your phone. Looking up a hash in a rainbow table that matches is much like guessing your PIN. It works for that one specific case. It is not a generalised solution across the board.

chpmrc 7y ago

I appreciate that you specified "pedantically". A whole thread on an inaccurate use of the word "reverse". Oh boy!