Network Security – Message Digest 4 Algorithm MD4 Algorithmmd4 convertermd4 crackermd4 generator

Network Security – Message Digest 4 Algorithm MD4 Algorithmmd4 convertermd4 crackermd4 generator

 Network Security – MD4 (Message Digest 4) Algorithm

 What is MD4 (Message Digest 4)?

MD4 (Message Digest 4) is a cryptographic hash function developed by Ronald Rivest in 1990. It generates a 128-bit hash value from an input message and is primarily used in digital signatures and checksums. However, MD4 is now considered insecure due to vulnerabilities in cryptographic attacks.

Features of MD4 Algorithm

Fixed-Length Output → Generates a 128-bit (32-character hexadecimal) hash.
Deterministic → Same input will always produce the same hash.
Fast Computation → Optimized for 32-bit machines.
Used in Older Cryptographic Systems → Formerly used in NTLM (Windows authentication).

 MD4 Algorithm Working Process

MD4 processes input data in 512-bit blocks and follows these steps:

Step 1: Padding

• The input message is padded so that its length is 64 bits less than a multiple of 512 bits.

• A single ‘1’ bit is added, followed by zeros, and the message length is appended in 64-bit format.

Step 2: Initialize MD4 Buffer

MD4 maintains four 32-bit registers initialized to fixed values:

Step 3: Processing in 512-bit Blocks

Each block undergoes three rounds of transformation using bitwise operations (AND, OR, XOR, NOT) and addition.

• Round 1: Simple bitwise operations and shifts.

• Round 2: More complex transformations.

• Round 3: Further mixing to ensure randomness.

Step 4: Output Hash Generation

After processing all blocks, the final 128-bit hash value is obtained.

 Example of MD4 Hash Generation

Input: "Hello, World!"
MD4 Hash Output: 9483943844618615d931545f19e1d082

Input: "hello, world!" (small change)
MD4 Hash Output: ecab58c5d441eac0e5f9e4a4b8914f4b

Even a tiny change in input produces a completely different hash (Avalanche Effect).

 MD4 Algorithm in Python

You can generate an MD4 hash using the hashlib library:

Output: 9483943844618615d931545f19e1d082

 MD4 Security Issues

MD4 is no longer secure due to the following reasons:
Collision Attacks → Hackers can generate two different inputs with the same hash.
Fast Computation → Makes brute-force attacks easier.
Broken by Cryptanalysis → Modern attacks can break MD4 in milliseconds.

 MD4 Cracking & Alternatives

• MD4 Cracker → Tools like John the Ripper & Hashcat can break MD4 easily.

• MD4 Generator → Online MD4 generators exist but should not be used for secure hashing.

• Alternatives → Use SHA-256, SHA-3, or Bcrypt for better security.

 Conclusion

 MD4 was once widely used in cryptographic applications but is no longer secure.
 It is still used for legacy applications, but modern security systems avoid MD4.
Better Alternatives → SHA-256, SHA-3, Bcrypt, Argon2.

 Would you like a comparison between MD4 and modern hashing algorithms?