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Contents
- MD5 File Validation
- Finding Feature Information
- Restrictions for MD5 File Validation
- Information About MD5 File Validation
- MD5 File Validation Overview
- How to Validate Files Using the MD5 Algorithm
- Verifying an Image
- Image Information
- Troubleshooting Tips
- Configuration Examples for MD5 File Validation
- Verifying an Image Example
- Additional References
- Feature Information for MD5 File Validation
MD5 File Validation
The MD5 File Validation feature provides a Cisco IOS software command you can use to ensure file validation using the Message Digest 5 (MD5) algorithm in the Cisco IOS File System (IFS).
The MD5 File Validation feature allows you to check the integrity of a Cisco IOS software image by comparing its MD5 checksum value against a known MD5 checksum value for the image. MD5 values are now made available on Cisco.com for all Cisco IOS software images for comparison against local system image values.
Finding Feature Information
Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the Feature Information Table at the end of this document.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Restrictions for MD5 File Validation
The MD5 File Validation feature can only be used to check the integrity of a Cisco IOS software image that is stored on a Cisco IOS device. It cannot be used to check the integrity of an image on a remote file system or an image running in memory.
Information About MD5 File Validation
MD5 File Validation Overview
The MD5 File Validation feature provides a mechanism for users to verify that system image files are not corrupted or incomplete. This feature uses the industry-standard MD5 algorithm for improved reliability and security. MD5 file validation computes and displays the MD5 values from the Cisco IOS command-line interface (CLI). Files do not have to be checked on another device.
 Note | The MD5 file does not have to be on the router in order to verify the Cisco IOS software image. |
How to Validate Files Using the MD5 Algorithm
Verifying an Image
The MD5 File Validation feature allows you to generate the MD5 checksum for the Cisco IOS image stored on your router and compare it to the value posted on Cisco.com to verify that the image on your router is not corrupted.
Perform this task to run the MD5 integrity check after transferring an image file.
Image Information
You can obtain the MD5 value for your system image from the Software Center at Cisco.com. The most convenient way to get this value is to click the name of the file prior to download. For example, if you select the 12.2.2T4 Release for the 3640 Platform with the Enterprise Plus Feature Set, before clicking the Download button, you can click the filename for the image (c3640-js-mz.122-2.T4.bin) and the image information will be displayed.
Image information typically includes the Release, Description, File Size, BSD Checksum, Router Checksum, Date Published, and MD5 value for the image. You should record the MD5 value for the image prior to download. However, if you do not have the MD5 value for a previously downloaded image, you can select the same image on Cisco.com (using the same process you would use to download the image) to get the MD5 value.
- verify /md5 filesystem : filename
- verify /md5 filesystem : filename md5-value
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
Step 1 |
enable
Example: Router> enable |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
Step 2 | Do one of the following:
Example: Router# verify /md5 disk1:c7200-js-mz Example:
Example: Router# verify /md5 disk1:c7200-js-mz 0f369ed9e98756f179d4f29d6e7755d3 |
Verifies the checksum of a file on a flash memory file system or computes an MD5 signature for a file.
or Displays a message indicating whether the MD5 values match.
|
Configuration Examples for MD5 File Validation
Verifying an Image Example
In the following example, the /md5 keyword is used to display the MD5 value for the image stored in disk1 of the device. The MD5 value shown in the last line can be compared to the value provided on Cisco.com.
Router# verify /md5 disk1: Verify filename []? c7200-js-mz .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. ...............................Done! verify /md5 (disk1:c7200-js-mz) = 0f369ed9e98756f179d4f29d6e7755d3
In the following example, the known MD5 value for the image is specified in the verify command, and the system checks the value against the stored value:
Router# verify /md5 disk1:c7200-js-mz ? WORD Expected md5 signature <cr> router# verify /md5 disk1:c7200-js-mz 0f369ed9e98756f179d4f29d6e7755d3 .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. ...............................Done! Verified (disk1:c7200-js-mz) = 0f369ed9e98756f179d4f29d6e7755d3
Additional References
MIBs
Technical Assistance
|
Description |
Link |
|---|---|
|
The Cisco Support website provides extensive online resources, including documentation and tools for troubleshooting and resolving technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. To receive security and technical information about your products, you can subscribe to various services, such as the Product Alert Tool (accessed from Field Notices), the Cisco Technical Services Newsletter, and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password. |
Feature Information for MD5 File Validation
The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
| Table 1 | Feature Information for MD5 File Vaildation |
|
Feature Name |
Releases |
Feature Information |
|---|---|---|
|
MD5 File Validation |
12.2(4)T 12.0(22)S |
The MD5 File Validation feature allows you to check the integrity of a Cisco IOS software image by comparing its MD5 checksum value against a known MD5 checksum value for the image. The following command was introduced or modified: verify. |
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Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.