Skip to main content

Cryptographic Collision

Definition

A cryptographic collision occurs when two distinct inputs produce the same output hash value from a hash function. This event compromises the integrity of a cryptographic hash function, as it undermines the principle that each unique input should generate a unique, fixed-length output. While theoretically possible for any hash function, a secure cryptographic hash function is designed to make finding such collisions computationally infeasible. The existence of a practical collision vulnerability can severely compromise data authenticity and digital signature systems.