Keccak-384 Hash

What is Keccak-384?

Keccak-384 is a member of the Keccak family of cryptographic hash functions, standardized as part of the SHA-3 competition and ultimately selected as the winner in 2012 under the name **SHA-3**. Derived from the broader **Sponge Construction** framework, Keccak-384 operates on a 1600-bit (200-byte) state divided into a 16×16 matrix of 64-bit words, processed through a series of permutation rounds (24 for the full Keccak-f[1600] permutation). The algorithm absorbs input data in 1024-bit (128-byte) chunks, applying a bitwise rotation and XOR-based mixing layer before finalizing with a squeezing phase to produce a 384-bit (48-byte) hash output. Its primary use-case lies in cryptographic applications requiring high security, including digital signatures (e.g., via **EdDSA**), blockchain systems (e.g., Ethereum’s pre-Merge state hashing), and post-quantum-resistant constructions, where its resistance to length-extension attacks and collision resistance is critical.

Despite its robust design, Keccak-384 exhibits vulnerabilities rooted in its computational efficiency and architectural choices. The lack of a built-in **salt** or **keyed mode** exposes it to **preimage attacks** when used as a MAC (e.g., in HMAC-SHA3), as adversaries can exploit the deterministic nature of the hash. Collision resistance, while theoretically strong, is mitigated by **GPU/ASIC optimizations**—modern hardware accelerators (e.g., FPGA-based rigs) can achieve **hash rates exceeding 100+ GH/s**, enabling brute-force or birthday-attack scenarios at scale. Additionally, the **fixed permutation rounds** (24) and linear mixing operations allow for **differential cryptanalysis** under specific conditions, though practical attacks remain computationally prohibitive for well-implemented instances. Optimizations like **parallel lane processing** further exacerbate side-channel risks, as timing or power analysis can leak state transitions.

Identifying Keccak-384 Hashes

Identifying a hash blindly is often difficult because multiple algorithms can output strings of the exact same length. For example, a standard 32-character hexadecimal string could be MD5, NTLM, MD4, or LM. To definitively identify Keccak-384, security researchers analyze the hash against a strict regular expression (regex) signature (shown above) to find structural matches.

How to Crack Keccak-384

If you need to recover the plaintext password for a Keccak-384 hash during a penetration test or forensics investigation, you must supply the correct module ID to your cracking software. Use the exact commands provided at the top of this page to target the hash successfully.