Certificate Fingerprint
Generate SHA256, SHA1, and MD5 fingerprints for certificates.
- Enter a hostname to fetch a live certificate, or paste a certificate PEM below.
- Click Generate Fingerprints.
- View SHA256, SHA1, and MD5 fingerprints.
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\nMIIFazCCA1OgAwIBAgIR...\n-----END CERTIFICATE-----
What are Certificate Fingerprints?
Certificate fingerprints are unique cryptographic hashes that identify SSL certificates. They serve as digital "fingerprints" - short, unique identifiers generated from the certificate's content using hash algorithms like SHA256, SHA1, or MD5.
Fingerprints are essential for certificate verification, security monitoring, and ensuring certificate authenticity across different systems and applications.
Why Use Certificate Fingerprints?
🔍 1. Certificate Verification
Fingerprints provide reliable certificate identification:
- → Unique Identity: Each certificate has a unique fingerprint
- → Tamper Detection: Any change creates a different fingerprint
- → Quick Comparison: Compare certificates without full content
- → Certificate Pinning: Pin specific certificates in applications
🛡️ 2. Security Monitoring
Monitor certificate changes and security:
- Detect unauthorized certificate changes
- Monitor certificate rotation and updates
- Identify potential man-in-the-middle attacks
- Track certificate deployment across infrastructure
- Audit certificate compliance
🔗 3. Certificate Pinning
Enhance application security:
- Pin specific certificates in mobile apps
- Prevent certificate substitution attacks
- Implement HTTP Public Key Pinning (HPKP)
- Secure API communications
📊 4. Certificate Management
Streamline certificate operations:
- Track certificates across multiple servers
- Verify certificate installation success
- Automate certificate deployment verification
- Maintain certificate inventory databases
Hash Algorithm Comparison
🔒 SHA256 (Recommended)
Current industry standard:
- 256-bit hash length (64 hex characters)
- Cryptographically secure and collision-resistant
- Recommended for all new implementations
- Required by modern browsers and CAs
⚠️ SHA1 (Deprecated)
Legacy algorithm being phased out:
- 160-bit hash length (40 hex characters)
- Vulnerable to collision attacks
- Deprecated by major browsers since 2017
- Use only for legacy system compatibility
🚫 MD5 (Insecure)
Cryptographically broken:
- 128-bit hash length (32 hex characters)
- Vulnerable to collision and preimage attacks
- Not suitable for security applications
- Provided only for legacy compatibility
💡 Best Practices
- ✓ Always use SHA256 fingerprints for security applications
- ✓ Store fingerprints securely in configuration management
- ✓ Verify fingerprints through multiple channels
- ✓ Update pinned fingerprints before certificate renewal
- ✓ Monitor fingerprint changes in production systems
- ✓ Document fingerprints for incident response
- ✓ Avoid MD5 and SHA1 for new security implementations
🔗 Related Tools
Enhance your certificate security workflow: