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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchA matching checksum shows that a downloaded file has the same bytes as the file represented by the reference digest. It does not, by itself, show who produced the file or whether the reference digest is trustworthy. To check a package more fully, verify it against the publisher’s official instructions, then validate any available signature or build provenance.
What a matching checksum actually tells you
A checksum is a digest calculated from data. When you calculate a digest for a downloaded package and compare it with an expected value, a match supports one narrow conclusion: the package matches that reference digest. A mismatch means it does not match that reference.
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The result depends on where the expected digest came from. If someone can replace both the package and the checksum published beside it, the substituted pair can still match. A checksum comparison alone does not authenticate the reference or identify the publisher. NIST’s Secure Hash Standard (FIPS 180-4) describes the hash functions used to produce message digests; the digest itself does not establish who supplied it.
How checksums, signatures, and provenance differ
| Check | What it can establish | What it does not establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Checksum comparison | The file’s bytes match the reference digest you compared against. | Who created the file, whether the reference is authentic, or whether the software is benign. |
| Digital signature | That the signed data corresponds to the signing key and has not changed since signing, when verification succeeds. | That the key belongs to the publisher you intend to trust, unless you verify that identity association. |
| Build provenance | Evidence about the builder and build details recorded for an artifact, when the provenance is verified and its fields are checked. | That the builder or recorded inputs meet your expectations unless you inspect and assess them. |
NIST says digital signatures are used to detect unauthorized modifications to data and authenticate the signatory’s identity. The standard’s wording describes the purpose of signatures; in practice, a verifier still needs a trusted association between the signing key and the expected publisher. See NIST’s FIPS 205 and Security Considerations for Code Signing.
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How to verify a downloaded package
- Start with the publisher’s official release page. Follow that publisher’s verification instructions. A hash copied from an unrelated mirror—or delivered through the same untrusted channel as the download—does not independently establish the publisher’s identity. Apache’s release verification instructions provide an example of checking hashes and signatures.
- Calculate the digest of the downloaded file. Use the algorithm and command specified by the publisher. Apache documents examples using
sha256sum,shasum -a 256, and WindowscertUtil; use its instructions for the relevant release and platform. - Compare the entire output with the official expected digest. A mismatch means the file does not match that reference. Stop and investigate rather than running it. If they match, you have established a match with that reference—not who produced the file.
- Verify a signature if one is provided. Use the publisher’s official instructions, then check that the signing key or certificate is associated with the publisher you expect. A mathematically valid signature without a trusted identity association does not tell you who the signer is.
- Check provenance when it is available. Verify its signature, confirm that the builder identity is one you trust, and compare fields such as build type and external parameters with what you expect. SLSA’s artifact verification guidance explains these checks; provenance is useful only when it is actually inspected and verified.
What a successful verification cannot tell you
Even a trusted signature or provenance record is not a guarantee that software is safe, harmless, or free of vulnerabilities. These checks provide evidence about byte integrity, signer or builder identity, and—in the case of provenance—recorded build context. Whether that evidence is sufficient depends on the trust placed in the publisher, key, builder, and recorded information.
NIST recommends automatically verifying hashes or signatures for vendor-provided software installations and updates where feasible in its guidance on software security in supply chains. NIST’s broader device-supply-chain guidance also describes validating artifact source and authenticity and comparing recorded attributes with the actual device in its computing-device integrity practice guide.
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