PBKDF2 Key Derivator
Derive cryptographically strong symmetric keys from passwords and salts using Web Crypto PBKDF2.
1 How to Use the PBKDF2 Key Derivator
Enter password and provide or generate a random salt string.
Choose pseudo-random function: HMAC-SHA256 (standard) or HMAC-SHA512.
Set iteration count (OWASP recommends 600,000 for SHA-256) and desired key length (e.g. 256 bits).
Click 'Derive Key' to calculate the raw derived key in Hex and Base64 format.
2 Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details & Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Specification | RFC 2898 / PKCS #5 v2.0 |
| PRFs Supported | HMAC-SHA256, HMAC-SHA512 |
| Iterations | 1,000 to 1,000,000 rounds |
| Engine | Web Crypto API (crypto.subtle.deriveBits) |
Trust and Privacy
100% Client-Side Privacy Guarantee
All calculations run directly in your local browser memory. Zero data is ever transmitted, logged, or stored on remote servers.
4 Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is PBKDF2 used for?
PBKDF2 turns human passwords into strong, fixed-length binary cryptographic keys suitable for symmetric algorithms like AES-256-GCM. It is used in WPA2 Wi-Fi and Apple Keychain.
Q. Why are high iterations important?
Higher iterations force an attacker to spend significantly more CPU time on each guess, making dictionary attacks prohibitively expensive.