SipHash: a fast short-input PRF

SipHash: a fast short-input PRF

SipHash is a family of pseudorandom functions (a.k.a. keyed hash functions) optimized for speed on short messages.

Target applications include network traffic authentication and defense against hash-flooding DoS attacks.

SipHash is secure, fast, and simple (for real):

• SipHash is simpler and faster than previous cryptographic algorithms (e.g. MACs based on universal hashing)
• SipHash is competitive in performance with insecure non-cryptographic algorithms (e.g. MurmurHash)

We propose that hash tables switch to SipHash as a hash function. Users of SipHash already include FreeBSD, OpenDNS, Perl 5, Ruby, or Rust.

The original SipHash returns 64-bit strings. An experimental version returning 128-bit strings was later created, based on demand from users.

Intellectual property: We aren't aware of any patents or patent applications relevant to SipHash, and we aren't planning to apply for any. The reference code of SipHash is released under CC0 license, a public domain-like license.

SipHash was designed by

• Jean-Philippe Aumasson (Kudelski Security, Switzerland)
• Daniel J. Bernstein (University of Illinois at Chicago, USA)

Contact: jeanphilippe.aumasson@gmail.com   djb@cr.yp.to

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