[COUCHDB-1060] CouchDB should use a secure password hash method instead of the current one

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 1.0.2
• Fix Version/s: 1.3
• Component/s: Database Core
• Assignee: Robert Newson
• Reporter: Nuutti Kotivuori
• Created: 05/Feb/11 17:54
• Updated: 26/Mar/12 16:21
• Resolved: 26/Mar/12 16:21

Description

CouchDB passwords are stored in a salted, hashed format of a 128-bit salt combined with the password under SHA-1. This method thwarts rainbow table attacks, but is utterly ineffective against any dictionary attacks as computing SHA-1 is very fast indeed.

If passwords are to be stored in a non-plaintext equivalent format, the hash function needs to be a "slow" hash function. Suitable candidates for this could be bcrypt, scrypt and PBKDF2. Of the choices, only PBKDF2 is really widely used, standardized and goverment approved. (Note: don't be fooled that the PBKDF2 is a "key derivation" function - in this case, it is exactly the same thing as a slow password hash.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBKDF2