Tiger-160/3 Hash Code Calculator

Tiger 160/3 (Tiger 160 bits, 3 rounds) is a cryptographic hash function that takes an input (or message) and produces a fixed-size, 160-bit (20-byte) output, commonly represented as a 40-character hexadecimal number

The Tiger hash function is a cryptographic hash function designed by Ross Anderson and Eli Biham in 1995. It was specifically optimized for fast performance on 64-bit platforms, making it well-suited for applications that require high-speed data processing, such as file integrity verification, digital signatures, and data indexing. It produces 192 bit hash codes in either 3 or 4 rounds, which can be truncated to either 160 or 128 bits if needed for storage constraints or compatibility with other applications.

It is no longer considered secure for modern cryptographic applications, but is included here in case one needs to calculate a hash code for backwards compatibility.

Full disclosure: I did not write the specific implementation of the hash function used on this page. It is a standard function included with the PHP programming language. I only made the web interface to make it publicly available here for convenience.

About the Tiger-160/3 Hash Algorithm

I'm neither a mathematician nor a cryptographer, but I'll try to explain this hash function in layman's terms with an example. If you prefer a scientifically correct and precise full-on math-heavy explanation, I'm certain you can find that on plenty of other websites ;-)

Now, imagine you're making a secret smoothie recipe. You throw in a bunch of fruits (your data), blend it in a special way (the hashing process), and at the end, you get a unique flavor (the hash). Even if you change just one tiny thing - like adding one more blueberry - the flavor will be completely different.

With Tiger, there are three steps to this:

Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients (Padding the Data)

• No matter how big or small your data is, Tiger makes sure it's the right size for the blender. It adds a little extra filler (like padding) so everything fits perfectly.

Step 2: The Super Blender (The Compression Function)

• This blender has three powerful blades.
• The data is chopped into chunks, and each chunk goes through the blender one at a time.
• The blades don't just spin - they mix, smash, twist, and scramble the data in crazy ways using special patterns (these are like secret blender settings that ensure everything gets mixed unpredictably).

Step 3: Multiple Blends (Passes/Rounds)

• Here’s where it gets interesting. Tiger doesn't just blend your data once - it blends it multiple times to make sure no one can figure out the original ingredients.
• This is the difference between the 3 and 4 round versions. By adding an extra blending cycle, the 4 round versions are a little bit more secure, but also slower to calculate.