Overview of MD5 Hash Function Quiz Answers 1. What is a primary function of MD5? A. To generate random numbers B. To compress file sizes C. To verify data integrity D. To encrypt data for secure storage Answer: To verify data integrity (C) MD5 is primarily designed for verifying data integrity. 2. What is the output size of an MD5 hash? A. 512 bits B. 256 bits C. 128 bits D. 64 bits Answer: 128 bits (C) MD5 produces a fixed-size output of 128 bits regardless of input length. 3. Why is MD5 considered not secure for cryptographic purposes? A. It requires excessive computational resources B. It is too slow for modern applications C. It has known vulnerabilities, including collision attacks D. It can produce a variable output size Answer: It has known vulnerabilities, including collision attacks (C) MD5's known vulnerabilities, such as collision attacks, compromise its security. 4. In what situations has MD5 historically been used? A. Secure real-time communication B. Multimedia file compression C. Integrity verification of software downloads D. Strong encryption of sensitive data Answer: Integrity verification of software downloads (C) MD5 has been used for integrity verification of software downloads and files. 5. Which of the following is a characteristic of MD5? A. It requires input to be in text format only B. It is designed to be slow and resource-intensive C. It uses iterative rounds for processing input D. It produces variable output sizes Answer: It uses iterative rounds for processing input (C) MD5 processes input data using a series of iterative rounds. 6. What alternative hash functions are recommended over MD5? A. DES and RC4 B. MD4 and SHA-224 C. SHA-1 and SHA-256 D. AES and Blowfish Answer: SHA-1 and SHA-256 (C) SHA-1, SHA-256, and SHA-512 are modern algorithms recommended as alternatives to MD5. 7. What type of attack has been demonstrated against MD5? A. Brute-force attack B. Denial-of-service attack C. Collision attack D. Man-in-the-middle attack Answer: Collision attack (C) MD5 is vulnerable to collision attacks, where different inputs yield the same hash. 8. What is a significant risk of using MD5 in security-sensitive applications? A. Potential for undetected malicious alterations of data B. Reduced accuracy of data verification C. Higher encryption overhead D. Increased processing time Answer: Potential for undetected malicious alterations of data (A) Using MD5 poses risks of undetected malicious alterations due to its compromised integrity.