SHA-3 Hash Generator

What is SHA-3?

SHA-3 (Secure Hash Algorithm 3) is the latest member of the SHA family, standardized by NIST in 2015. Unlike SHA-1 and SHA-2, SHA-3 uses a completely different cryptographic construction called Keccak. It supports variable output lengths—such as SHA3-224, SHA3-256, SHA3-384, and SHA3-512—making it highly flexible and secure.

SHA-3 is known for its resilience against length-extension attacks and its unique sponge construction, which distinguishes it from traditional Merkle–Damgård designs like SHA-2.

How SHA-3 Works (Behind the Tool)

SHA-3 uses a sponge function built on the Keccak-f permutation. Here’s how it functions:

1. Initialization

   
   The input message is padded using multi-rate padding (pad10*1) and split into blocks based on a specific rate.
   
   

2. Absorbing Phase

   
   Each input block is XOR’d into a portion of the state array, followed by the Keccak-f permutation (a series of bitwise rotations, swaps, and logical operations) to mix the state.
   
   

3. Squeezing Phase

   
   Once all input is absorbed, the output hash is “squeezed” out from the internal state until the desired hash length is reached.

   
   

This makes SHA-3 highly adaptable to both fixed-length and extendable output hashing needs.

SHA-3 Hashing Examples

Example 1: Basic string input

Input:

blockchain-security

Output (SHA3-256):

a2a1b97031d73b13b7c1d2e9d37e0e4a20a3... (64 chars)

Use case: Secure data fingerprinting in decentralized systems.

Example 2: File hash in Python using SHA3-512

import hashlib
with open("report.pdf", "rb") as f:
content = f.read()
hash_result = hashlib.sha3_512(content).hexdigest()
print("SHA3-512:", hash_result)

Use case: Verifying large file integrity with enhanced cryptographic strength.

Example 3: Password hashing (JavaScript example with SHA3-384)

const { SHA3 } = require('sha3');
const sha3 = new SHA3(384);
sha3.update('SuperSecurePassword');
console.log(sha3.digest('hex'));

Use case: Secure user authentication without exposing plaintext.

Combine with These Tools

• SHA-512 Hash Generator – for legacy systems requiring SHA-2.

• HMAC SHA-256 Generator – key-based hashing.

• Base64 Encoder – for transmitting SHA-3 hash safely in emails or URLs.

• SHA-256 Hash Generator – widely used and compatible with APIs.

Use Cases

Pro Tips

• Use SHA3-512 for critical data like digital signatures and certificates.

• Always compare SHA-3 hashes in hexadecimal or Base64 format to avoid encoding mismatch.

• Encode your output with Base64 Encoder for API calls.

• Don’t confuse SHA-3 with SHA-2—they are based on different cryptographic designs.