rs_sha224

rs_sha224 is a Rust crate delivering the SHA-224 cryptographic hash algorithm. Configured for compatibility with Rust's libcore within a #![no_std] context, it operates as a standalone crate for specialized use cases and is also compatible with a #![no_std], #![no_alloc] environment, rendering it suitable for systems where dynamic memory allocation is untenable.

This implementation of SHA-224 is compliant with the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 180-4[^1]. In line with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines, SHA-224 is recommended for several use cases:

"SHA-224 provides 112 bits of security against collision attacks and, therefore, is suitable for functions requiring a hash length of 112 bits."

Given this advice, NIST recommendations imply that SHA-224 is suitable for the following contexts:

• Digital signatures that require 112 bits of security.
• Cryptographic hash functions in systems and protocols requiring 112 bits of security.
• Authentication methods that necessitate 112 bits of security.

Beyond these specific recommendations, SHA-224 could also find application in:

• Version control systems for the generation of commit identifiers[^2].
• Hash-based message authentication codes (HMACs), when collision resistance is necessary[^3].
• Data integrity checks in Merkle Trees[^4].
• As a randomized hash function in Bloom filters[^5].

Given your overall security objectives and risk tolerance, these points should be carefully considered.

For access to a comprehensive range of cryptographic functions, rs_sha224 can be utilized as part of the rs_shield library bundle.

How To Use

Below are steps to use the rs_sha224 crate in your Rust projects:

1. Add the following line to your Cargo.toml under the [dependencies] section:

   rs_sha224 = "0.1.*"
   

2. Use the functions provided by the rs_sha224 module in your code. Here's an example of how to create a SHA-224 hash from a string:

   use rs_sha224::{HasherContext, Sha224Hasher};
   
   let mut sha224hasher = Sha224Hasher::default();
   sha224hasher.write(b"your string here");
   
   let u64result = sha224hasher.finish();
   let bytes_result = HasherContext::finish(&mut sha224hasher);
   assert_eq!(u64result, 0xC8DA90DF20FC1F9C);
   assert_eq!(format!("{bytes_result:02x}"), "c8da90df20fc1f9cad8bec106821904e8a27b9bcc79d954f1fa01b83");
   assert_eq!(format!("{bytes_result:02X}"), "C8DA90DF20FC1F9CAD8BEC106821904E8A27B9BCC79D954F1FA01B83");
   assert_eq!(
       bytes_result,
       [
           0xC8, 0xDA, 0x90, 0xDF, 0x20, 0xFC, 0x1F, 0x9C, 0xAD, 0x8B, 0xEC, 0x10, 0x68, 0x21, 0x90, 0x4E, 0x8A, 0x27,
           0xB9, 0xBC, 0xC7, 0x9D, 0x95, 0x4F, 0x1F, 0xA0, 0x1B, 0x83
       ]
   )
   

More Information

For a more detailed exploration of rs_sha224, an overview of other available cryptographic functions, and an introduction to the broader rs_shield project, please consult the RustyShield project page on crates.io.

Contributions

Potential contributors are encouraged to consult the contribution guidelines on our GitHub page.

License

This project is licensed under GPL-2.0-only.

References

[^1]: National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2015). Secure Hash Standard (SHS). FIPS PUB 180-4

[^2]: Linus Torvalds. (2005). Git: A distributed version control system. Software: Practice and Experience, 41(1), 79-88. DOI:10.1002/spe.1006

[^3]: Krawczyk, H., Bellare, M., & Canetti, R. (1997). HMAC: Keyed-Hashing for Message Authentication. RFC 2104

[^4]: Merkle, R. C. (1988). A Digital Signature Based on a Conventional Encryption Function. Link

[^5]: Bloom, B. H. (1970). Space/time trade-offs in hash coding with allowable errors. Communications of the ACM, 13(7), 422-426. DOI:10.1145/362686.362692

Note: The references have been provided as per the best knowledge as of Jun 02, 2023.