A hash function is a mathematical model that maps inputs of arbitrary size to unique outputs of a fixed length in bits. Hash functions are highly useful and appear in almost all information security applications. In addition to information security applications, it can also serve as index data in hash tables, aiding in the detection of duplicate data for fingerprinting or uniquely identifying files, as well as for checksums to identify data corruption. This research introduces an innovative 256-bit hash function that utilizes a chaotic substitution box using a non-linear logistic map. Unlike MD5 or SHA-family hash functions, which rely on modular arithmetic, logical operations, and bitwise shifts for diffusion and non-linearity, the proposed method incorporates a chaotic substitution box to introduce an additional nonlinear transformation layer and high diffusion. The avalanche rate, statistical analysis, pre-image resistance, second pre-image, collision resistance, and performance are examined to evaluate the cryptographic strength and the performance of the proposed method.
Salloom et al. (Mon,) studied this question.