sha1pass

sha1pass [password]

password
    The password to be hashed. If omitted, sha1pass prompts for it.

The sha1pass command is a simple utility for generating SHA1 password hashes suitable for use in various authentication systems. It takes a password as input and outputs its SHA1 hash. It's a quick way to create password hashes from the command line for testing or configuration purposes, especially in older systems that still rely on SHA1. It's important to note that SHA1 is considered cryptographically weak and should generally be avoided in favor of stronger hashing algorithms like bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 for secure password storage.
The primary purpose of sha1pass is to provide a readily available tool for generating SHA1 hashes, but it doesn't provide salting or other modern security practices that are critical for robust password security. It is best used only where backwards compatibility is specifically needed.

SHA1 is considered a weak hashing algorithm and should not be used for new systems. It is vulnerable to collision attacks and other security vulnerabilities. Always prefer more modern and robust hashing algorithms like bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2 for secure password storage. sha1pass does not add salt to passwords, further reducing security.

Using sha1pass to generate password hashes for any real-world application is strongly discouraged. Due to the weakness of the SHA1 algorithm, it is easily broken, making user accounts vulnerable to compromise. You should instead use tools that incorporate salting and modern hashing algorithms such as bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2.

If you run sha1pass without providing a password on the command line, it will prompt you to enter a password interactively. The password you type won't be echoed to the screen. After you enter the password, sha1pass will output the SHA1 hash.

The sha1pass command likely predates widespread adoption of more robust password hashing algorithms. It arose during a time when SHA1 was considered a reasonable hashing function. As security practices have evolved, sha1pass has become less relevant for secure password management. Its continued presence is primarily for backwards compatibility or quick-and-dirty hashing needs, not secure password storage.

openssl(1), mkpasswd(1)