MD5
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Cybersecurity
| Stands for | Message-Digest Algorithm 5 |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
MD5 stands for Message-Digest Algorithm 5, a cybersecurity abbreviation.
A hash function that produces a 128-bit fingerprint, once used everywhere for checksums and password storage. It is cryptographically broken, since collisions can be generated in seconds, and survives only as a quick check for accidental file corruption.
Example: The legacy app stored passwords as unsalted MD5, so the breach exposed most of them within hours.
Usage notes
Designed by Ron Rivest in 1991. Researchers demonstrated practical collisions in 2004, and the Flame malware discovered in 2012 used an MD5 collision to forge a Microsoft code-signing certificate. Security standards prohibit it for signatures and certificates.
Related abbreviations
More cybersecurity abbreviations
- IPS – Intrusion prevention system
- IR – Incident response
- ISO 27001 – ISO/IEC 27001 (information security management standard)
- JWT – JSON Web Token
- KMS – Key Management Service
- MAC – Mandatory access control
- MDM – Mobile device management
- MDR – Managed detection and response
- MFA – Multi-factor authentication
- MITM – Man-in-the-middle
- MSSP – Managed security service provider
- mTLS – Mutual TLS