PBKDF2 key derivation

Derive keys from a password and salt with PBKDF2. Configure iterations, hash algorithm, and output length with hex or base64 output.

Configuration

Algorithm
Salt format

Salt

Enter plain text or import a file.

Derived key

Derived key for the current password and salt input.

Enter a password and salt to display the derived key in hexadecimal and Base64 formats.

What is PBKDF2?

PBKDF2 (Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2) derives a cryptographic key from a password using a salt and many iterations. It slows down brute-force attacks and produces different keys when the salt changes.

Key points:

  • Uses HMAC with a chosen hash (SHA-1/SHA-256/etc.)
  • Iterations increase computation cost
  • Output length is configurable

Best practices:

  • Use a unique, random salt
  • Use more iterations when performance allows
  • For new systems, consider memory-hard KDFs like Argon2 or scrypt

How to use

Enter a password, choose text or a raw file for the salt, set the parameters, then derive the key.