Question

I need to compare hash values of two strings.
I use string “template” for testing.
But I got different hash values for this string so it is always not the same.
I use CryptoApi and MD4

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
    std::hash_map<int,int> table;
    HCRYPTPROV hProv1,hProv2;
    BYTE *pbBuffer1=(BYTE*)"template";//data to hash
    DWORD dwBufferLen1=strlen((char*)pbBuffer1)+1;
    HCRYPTHASH hHash1,hHash2;
    //first hash
    CryptAcquireContext(&hProv1,NULL,NULL,PROV_RSA_AES,0);
    CryptCreateHash(hProv1,CALG_MD4,0,0,&hHash1);
    CryptHashData(hHash1,pbBuffer1,dwBufferLen1,0);
    /*---------*/
    BYTE *pbBuffer2=(BYTE*)"template";//data to hash
    DWORD dwBufferLen2=strlen((char*)pbBuffer2)+1;
    //second hash
    CryptAcquireContext(&hProv2,NULL,NULL,PROV_RSA_AES,0);  
    CryptCreateHash(hProv2,CALG_MD4,0,0,&hHash2);
    CryptHashData(hHash2,pbBuffer2,dwBufferLen2,0);
    if (hHash1==hHash2)
        printf("The Same\n");
    else printf("Not same\n");
    /*---------*/
    std::cout<<hHash1<<std::endl;
    std::cout<<hHash2<<std::endl;
    if (hProv1)
        CryptReleaseContext(hProv1,0);
    if (hProv2)
        CryptReleaseContext(hProv2,0);
    system("pause");
    return 0;
} 

For example hash value in hHash1

691136

Hash value in hHash2

691216

Answer 1

As the other answers have noted, hHash1 and hHash2 are opaque handles — comparing them is pointless, as that’s akin to comparing the addresses of two different objects that have the same value.

Use CryptGetHashParam to get the hash values and compare those instead:

The CryptGetHashParam function retrieves data that governs the operations of a hash object. The actual hash value can be retrieved by using this function.