Re: SHA-1 variables

From: Michael Amling (nospam_at_nospam.com)
Date: 04/25/03


Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 15:34:14 GMT

Last Man Standing wrote:
> The SHA-1 algorithm uses five variables which are initialized by the
> following numbers (in hexadecimal format): 0x67452301, 0xefcdab89,
> 0x98badcfe, 0x01325476, 0xc3d2e1f0. Is there anything special about
> these numbers?

   [You've an error in the fourth one.]
   On little-endian machines (Rivest's preference; the first four match
Rivest's MD5 initial values), their representation in RAM forms rising
and falling nibbles:

   01234567 89abcdef fedcba98 76543210 f0e1d2c3

   In big-endian storage they look more cryptic.

--Mike Amling