Using a constant "secret salt" a bad idea, because identical passwords generate identical hashes. This makes attacks much easier than they should be: The bad guy sets his password to a common trivial password, say "123456", reads the login names and hashes from the DB, and instantly knows all logins that use this password simply because they have the same hash value as his account. Repeat for a long list of weak passwords and you will get a good list of login names and passwords.

It's less bad than storing the salts with the hashes.

And any salting process worth it ... um ... salt, would incorporate the userid into the hash along with the pass-phrase, which completely negates that problem.

With the rise and rise of 'Social' network sites: 'Computers are making people easier to use everyday'
Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

The start of some sanity?

In reply to Re^3: SaltedDigest Salt? by BrowserUk
in thread SaltedDigest Salt? by packetstormer

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