I am relatively new to php, and just beginning to grasp the point of salt when it comes to hashing passwords (I think?). Anyways, here's my problem...
Right now I have a mysql database with a username, password, salt field. The password field length is 64 chars, the salt field is 3 chars. Upon registry, each username is assigned a random salt. I am not having any issues with this (I believe). First, the user's desired password is hashed via:
$hashedinput = hash ('sha256', $input);
The user's desired password is then hashed with the salt included with pbkdf2 by the following procedure, and entered in the database:
$password = pbkdf2('sha256', $hashedinput, $salt, 10000, 64);
My problem is the log in. When comparing the hashed password in the database to the password the user inputs, it always comes back !=. Here is what I do to validate login:
$userData = mysql_fetch_array($search, MYSQL_ASSOC);
$inputhash = hash('sha256', $input); // From Form
$salt = $userData['salt']; // Salt from DB
$password = pbkdf2('sha256', $inputhash, $salt, 10000, 64);
$knownpassword = $userData['password']; // Known password from DB
So, to troubleshoot I echo'd all the outputs and this is what it looks like when I enter the CORRECT password (and it doesn't log me in):
Input password: 3d8bc905668c1a1cca5b53a78941d3ca4673e12df6ac5e98e19fa47b153406f6e66913e43bf60478907ca07429b0cf90c808ce2097e0544cc44d298bfb7b85ad
DB password: 3d8bc905668c1a1cca5b53a78941d3ca4673e12df6ac5e98e19fa47b153406f6
Note that the input password has the first 64 characters correct, but it continues to go on for 128 chars total. The DB password is just 64.
Thanks ahead of time!
Thomas Ptacek wrote a great article a while back explaining - in some detail - what salt is, why it's useful, and gave the #1 rule you need to memorize regarding password hashing systems:
Use someone else’s password system. Don’t build your own.
If you are going to be using PHP 5.5 in your application, use the new password_hash API; if you're not, make sure you're using at least PHP 5.3 and use the password_hash userland compatability library. They are designed to take all the pain out of this for you.
Related
im currently trying to understand hashes and salts. As i understand it, it should not be possible to verify a password, if i only have the password and the generated hash(that was generated with a random salt ofc).
So how can the password_verify function in PHP verify my password, if i dont give it the salt? Is there a hidden variable in the background, that stores it for the php hashing functions?
And if that is the case, how can
doveadm pw -t '{SHA512-CRYPT}$6$myhash...' -p "qwertz"
verify it too, even if i run it on a complety different computer? Thats a tool, that comes with Dovecot(a MDA).
Here is my PHP code, that creates a random salt with 64 chars, combines it with a password, creates a hash and verifies the hash via password_verify().
I just started working on the whole hash/salt/pepper thing today, so there could be a huge flaw in my whole train of thought.
<?php
$password = "qwertz";
$salt = createSalt(64);
$hash = crypt($password, "$6$$salt");
if (password_verify($password, $hash)) {
echo 'Password is valid!';
} else {
echo 'Invalid password.';
}
function createSalt($length){
$chars = "IrhsYyLofUKj4caz0FDBCe2W9NRunTgQvp7qOXmS5GM3EJV6i8tAHdkPbxwl1Z";
$salt="";
for($i=0; $i < $length; $i++){
$newchar = substr($chars, rand(0,strlen($chars)-1),1);
$salt .= $newchar;
}
return $salt;
}
?>
The hash contains several pieces of information. This article explains the format used by Unix but I believe PHP password functions use a similar format (if not the same):
The hash field itself is comprised of three different fields. They are
separated by '$' and represent:
Some characters which represents the cryptographic hashing mechanism used to generate the actual hash
A randomly generated salt to safeguard against rainbow table attacks
The hash which results from joining the users password with the stored salt and running it through the hashing mechanism specified in
the first field
It can also include the exact per-algorithm options used to generate the hash, such us the algorithmic cost:
var_dump(password_hash('foo', PASSWORD_BCRYPT, [
'cost' => 8,
]));
string(60) "$2y$08$7Z5bTz7xXnom8QsrbZ7uQetMLxOZ7WjuDkUYRIh73Ffa17GV1Tb7q"
Here $2y$08$ means that Bcrypt with cost 8 was used.
If we use the newer Argon2 available in PHP/7.2 there're even more params:
$argon2i$v=19$m=1024,t=2,p=2$YzJBSzV4TUhkMzc3d3laeg$zqU/1IN0/AogfP4cmSJI1vc8lpXRW9/S0sYY2i2jHT0
Some backgrounds to the answer from #Álvaro González :
PHP manual suggests using "password_hash" instead of "crypt" function through "password_hash" is a "crypt()" wrapper ( Because, it uses a strong hash, generates a strong salt, and applies proper rounds automatically. )
"password_hash()" returns the algorithm, cost, and salt as part of the returned hash. Therefore, all information that's needed to verify the hash is included in it. This allows the "password_verify" function to verify the hash without needing separate storage for the salt or algorithm information. : http://php.net/manual/en/function.password-verify.php
Since, "password_hash" is a wrapper for "crypt", "crypt" also does the same, ie., returns the algorithm, cost, and salt as part of the returned hash. and thus "password_verify" can verify the hash.
Now, please check the answer given by #Álvaro González
I am new to hashes password storage. Can someone point of what I might be doing wrong. I'm using specially PHP, not C or any deviation of C.
Storing Hash:
Receive password
Send it to password_hash() function with an algorithm like sha-512, and a cost factor.
Little stuck here. When iterating do I use the received password hash?
Length it with pbkdf2 key deviation function.
Store in database.
Retrieving Hash:
Get user's attempt at password.
Stuck here also but I assume you use the password_verify function.
If a match validate other deny.
If someone could post a correct solution that would be much obliged.
Why bother with while() loops if you can just use the build-in options?
$password = $_POST['password'];
$hash = password_hash($password,PASSWORD_DEFAULT, array('cost' => 12));
echo $hash;
This is the correct way to do it. And to verify the password all you have to do is the following.
if(password_verify($password, $hash)){
//valid password
}
Somebody should pls guide me on how i can fetch out hashed password from database and match the password entered by a user when login in
i used php crypt() function with bcrypt algorithms to hash the password when registrian the user
thank you all in advance
From the documentation:
$hashed_password = crypt('mypassword'); // let the salt be automatically generated
if (crypt($user_input, $hashed_password) == $hashed_password) {
echo "Password verified!";
}
You need to pass in the original hash, otherwise crypt will generate a random salt and the passwords are very unlikely to match. I.e.
//BROKEN - will almost always print "Bugger off!".
$hash = crypt('Hello world');
$attempt = crypt('Hello world');
if($hash === $attempt){
echo "Access granted!";
}else{
echo "Bugger off!";
}
You don't need to "fetch" the hash from the database, you just hash the given password (from a login attempt I assume) and match THAT hash against the password column of a database. if a match is found where the password column matches the hash that you just made AND the username is a match, then the password is valid.
Thank you all, if i really get your explanations you mean i should hash the coming password from a user attempting to login and then compare the hash value with the one in DB
EXAMple
$salt=//the bcrypt algorithms format, cost parameter and the salt goes here, thesame with the one use when registrian
$coming_pass= crypt( $password, $salt)
mysqli_query ( SELECT from user WHERE username= $username AND
password= $coming_pass)
you just send the unencrypted password into the same crypt process as you did with the encrypted password, then they should match.
PHP has built in Options to do that, look at Creating a Hash, and Verifying a Hash
pseudo-code
hashed password = hp
plain text password = p
seed (Random Number generated by server) = s
hash algorithm (md5, sha1, sha256, ...) = hash
Example with Seeded Hash
hp = hash(p + s)
the order you set the seed is not important, as long you do it the same way every time, by Concatenate the password and seed
Example without Seeded Hash
hp = hash(p)
you will need to save the hp and seed, the p should NEVER be saved by the server, as Plain Text Passwords is a security issue.
C# Code Example:
static public bool IsPasswordCorrect(string hp, string seed, string enteredPasword)
{
return (hp == Sha1(String.Concat(enteredPasword, seed)));
}
this way you have no direct way to get the password from the database, and only the actual Client will have the Plaintext Password.
if you want a 2-way encryption algorithm, you will need to look at RSA, but it is way more complicated and requires a lot of knowledge to make secure.
How to decrypt password in plain text which are in ms-SQL database?
$encrypted_password="k??aU?????y-??N???tDRz????{?4R???G?aS4t?T";
$salt = "611233880";
So I need to decrypt password so that I insert into other database with md5 encryption.
I used this code, but not get success
$iv2 = '';
for($i=0;$i<16;$i++){
$iv2 .= "\0";
}
$plain_text_CBC = mcrypt_decrypt(MCRYPT_RIJNDAEL_128, $salt, $encrypted_password, MCRYPT_MODE_CBC, $iv2);
var_dump($plain_text_CBC);
$plaintext = openssl_decrypt($encrypted_password, 'AES-256-CBC', $salt, 0, $iv2);
var_dump($plaintext);
Need Help
The idea behind encrypted (or hashed) passwords is that it is a one way operation. Not quite like shredding, but that's the idea. If you take exactly the same input and shred it you should get exactly the same output. You may not be able to reconstruct the input from it, but you can confirm someone gave you the right input by looking at the output.
Some weak algorithms have been know to be hacked buy in principle what you are asking for is impossible.
The ought to be no reason reason to decrypt. You can always do the hashing operation twice - first with the old algorithm, then with the new one - and then compare with the entry in the database.
NEVER EVER store plaintext (or weakly encrypted) passwords. Just ask LinkedIn...
You don't simply decrypt a password. It should be hashed which means it is a one way encryption.
If you want to change your password hashing implementation, here is a way to do it.
You have the clear text password available when a user is in the process of logging in. So that's where you will have to place code to rehash the password with the new algorithm.
If you are using the new native password hashing functions (PHP Version >= 5.5) then you can use password_needs_rehash. If you are on a lower PHP Version but still >= 5.3.7 then you can use the userland implementation to get the same API to the password hashing functions.
So when a user is attempting to log in and the password needs rehashing, check if the hashes match with the old hashing function and then create and save the new one to the database. Over time you will be able to migrate most users and then you can think about a solution to migrate the rest of your userbase with a forced password reset if they never logged in during your migration timeframe.
Firstly, you encrypting your data by 2 different algorithms. Why? One algorithm is enough.
Answer: You can't decrypt old password.
Solution: You should encrypt data you wrote into password field and compare result with data in database. If they are equal, you will pass password check.
For example:
$login = mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST['login']);
$password = mysqli_real_escape_string($_POST['password']);
$password_hash = md5($input); // you can use there any other algorithm, just example
// make next query and control result
$sql = 'select count(id) from users where login = \'$login\' and password = \'$password_hash\'';
// now if there are 1 row with this login and same password hash let user log in to your site
If you write your code in the MVC structure, you can use the function n_decrypt() to decrypt passwords.
I have a password being passed from my iPhone app to the database via a php script, user.php.
The variable $pass is populated by the following:
$pass = str_replace("'", "", $_REQUEST['pass']);
How can I encrypt this before it's inserted into my database? I've read a little about the different techniques, but looking for the best way to manage this.
Thanks to everyone.
While the answer below is technically still correct, php has new recommendations with regards to the hashing algorithms to use. Their recommendation, as of php >= 5.5.0, is to use the password_hash and password_verify functions to hash and verify hashed passwords . As an added benefit, these functions automatically include an individualized salt as part of the returned hash, so you don't need to worry about that explicitly.
If you don't care about retrieving the actual password's value (from the database encrypted value), you can run a one-way hash algorithm on it (such as sha1). This function will return a specific length string (hash) which cannot be used to find the original string (theoretically). It is possible that two different strings could create the same hash (called a collision) but this shouldn't be a problem with passwords.
Example:
$pass = sha1($_REQUEST['pass']);
One thing, to make it a little more secure is to add a salt to the hash and run the hash function again. This makes it more difficult to generate a password hash maliciously since the salt value is handled server-side only.
Example:
$pass = sha1(sha1($_REQUEST['pass']).sha1("mySalt#$#(%"));
Use php's crypt library. Md5 is not encryption, it is hashing.
Also, salt your passwords. Why?
This answer
Another good answer
First, you should create a random user salt. Then you should store that and the password hash in the database.
$salt = md5(unique_id().mt_rand().microtime());
$pass = sha1($salt.$_REQUEST['pass']);
and save the $salt and $pass in the database. Then when they go to login you look up their row and check the hash:
$user = query('SELECT * FROM `user` WHERE username = ?', array($_REQUEST['username']));
if($user)
{
// If the password they give maches
if($user->pass === sha1($user->salt. $_REQUEST['pass']))
{
// login
}
else
{
// bad password
}
}
else
{
// user not found
}
Creating a user salt for each account insures rainbow tables are useless and anyone that broken into your server would have to brute-force each password.
Use crypt with some salt. Such as
$user = strip_tags(substr($_REQUEST['user'],0,32));
$plain_pw = strip_tags(substr($_REQUEST['pass'],0,32));
$password = crypt(md5($plain_pw),md5($user));
as on http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-php-encrypt/
Most basic: Hash it with MD5 or SHA1
$newpass = md5($_REQUEST['pass']);
or
$newpass = sha1($_REQUEST['pass']);
Recently I started storing the username hashed as well, so login attempts are secure using only hashed data for comparisons.
You can "salt" the hashes with extra data so if they are compromised, it's value cannot be found (try googling some simple hashed words).. i.e. use a site-wide string just to alter the standard hash like md5("mySiteSalt!!" . $_REQUEST['pass']); or something more advanced.
You should use SHA1 to hash your passwords for storage in the database. It's the simplest, yet most effective way to store passwords:
$password = sha1($password);
It's also exceptionally safe. Though the integrity of it is beginning to creep, it's rather easy to upgrade this function to SHA-256 (which is incredibly secure).
To find out why md5, sha1 and their speedy friends might not be a good idea, you should read the post Enough With The Rainbow Tables: What You Need To Know About Secure Password Schemes by Thomas Ptacek. The gist:
Finally, we learned that if we want to
store passwords securely we have three
reasonable options: PHK’s MD5 scheme,
Provos-Maziere’s Bcrypt scheme, and
SRP. We learned that the correct
choice is Bcrypt.
Note: it's PHK, not php.