SHA-512/224 hash generator
SHA-512/224 is one of two truncated SHA-512 variants added to the Secure Hash Standard in FIPS 180-4 (2012). It runs the full SHA-512 algorithm but starts from a distinct set of initial values — generated by a special procedure so they cannot collide with SHA-512’s — and outputs only the first 224 bits. The result is a 56-character hex digest with SHA-512’s internal strength.
Example
Input:
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dogSHA-512/224 hash:
944cd2847fb54558d4775db0485a50003111c8e5daa63fe722c6aa37It is not the same as SHA-224, which has the same length but is based on SHA-256: SHA-224 of the same input is 730e109bd7a8a32b1cb9d9a09aa2325d2430587ddbc0c38bad911525.
At a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Digest size | 224 bits (28 bytes, 56 hex characters) |
| Internal state | 512 bits; 80 rounds on 64-bit words |
| Collision resistance | About 112 bits |
| Length extension | Resistant (output is truncated) |
| Standard | FIPS 180-4 (2012) |
Why choose SHA-512/224?
- Speed on 64-bit hardware. Without SHA-256 instructions, SHA-512-based hashes often outperform SHA-256 and SHA-224.
- Length-extension resistance. An attacker cannot extend a message and compute its new hash, because the internal state is not fully exposed.
- Compact output where 224 bits of digest are enough, for example in identifiers or constrained protocols.
Things to know
Library support is thinner than for SHA-256. Python exposes it as hashlib.new('sha512_224') (when OpenSSL provides it), OpenSSL as openssl dgst -sha512-224, and Go as sha512.Sum512_224. Always write the name with the slash or underscore — “SHA-512/224” — because “SHA-224” refers to a different algorithm. Truncating a normal SHA-512 hash yourself does not give SHA-512/224 either, since the initial values are different.
Naming varies between platforms: Java and OpenSSL write “SHA-512/224” with a slash, Python uses “sha512_224”, and file names often show SHA512_224. All of them denote the same function, whose hex output — 56 characters, like SHA-224’s — should always be labelled to avoid confusion.
Its collision resistance of roughly 112 bits is the same as SHA-224’s and adequate for most purposes, although 128-bit strength (SHA-256 or SHA-512/256) is the more common baseline for new designs.
Compare with SHA-512/256, the more popular sibling. As with all fast hashes, do not use it for password storage. Hashing is done locally in your browser.
Checking files and telling 56-character hashes apart
On macOS and most Linux systems, the Perl-based shasum command supports this variant with shasum -a 512224 file; GNU coreutils has no dedicated sha512_224sum, so use that or openssl dgst -sha512-224 file instead.
A 56-character hex value on its own does not reveal its algorithm: SHA-224, SHA-512/224 and SHA3-224 all produce exactly that length. Paste the value into Compare with an expected hash and the tool reports which of the listed algorithms produced it for your input. That is often quicker than asking the publisher which function they used.