Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
Which of these statements are true or false: "A cryptographically secure hash function is also a one-way function" and "A one-way function is also a cryptographically secure hash function"?
A crypto-secure hash function IS a one-way function (true). But a one-way function is NOT necessarily a crypto-secure hash function (false).
A useful slogan: "A cryptographically secure hash function $\Rightarrow$ is a one-way function." The reverse arrow does NOT hold.
Why hash → one-way? A crypto-secure hash function has preimage resistance — given $h(x)$, you can't find $x$. That's exactly the definition of one-way.
Why one-way ↛ hash?
- A one-way function doesn't need to have a fixed-size output
- A one-way function doesn't need collision resistance
- Example: RSA encryption $y = x^e \mod N$ is a one-way function (with trapdoor), but it's not a hash function
- Example: A checksum is a hash function but NOT one-way (not cryptographically secure)
Related: One-way functions are a broader category that includes:
- Hash functions (without key, like SHA-3)
- Keyed hash functions (MAC, HMAC)
- Key derivation functions (KDF)
- Functions underlying asymmetric crypto (factoring, discrete log, ECC)
Go deeper:
One-way function (Wikipedia) — the broad class and how a crypto hash is one particular (fixed-output, collision-resistant) instance.