SP 800-56C HKDF Extract and Expand Walkthrough

SP 800-56C HKDF Extract and Expand Walkthrough | Online Free Tool | Elysia Tools

Tool usage guide

Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Category: Security
Input types: select, textarea, number
Output type: html
Sample coverage: 4
API ready: Yes

Overview

The SP 800-56C HKDF Extract and Expand Walkthrough demonstrates deterministic HMAC-based key derivation for ECDH shared secrets and RFC 5869 test vectors. Choose a preset or enter IKM, salt, info, hash, encoding, and output length to inspect the PRK, T(n) blocks, and OKM.

When to use

Verify an RFC 5869 HKDF implementation against the published SHA-256 test case.
Study how SP 800-56C or HKDF Extract and Expand derives protocol key material from ECDH input.
Create development and test vectors with different hashes, encodings, salts, context info, and output lengths.

How it works

1Select a preset, or provide the input keying material using Hex, UTF-8 text, or Base64.
2Choose SHA-256, SHA-384, or SHA-512, then optionally enter a salt and protocol context in the Info field.
3Set the desired output length from 1 to 4096 bytes.
4The walkthrough calculates and displays the Extract PRK, each Expand block T(n), and the final OKM.

Use cases

Compare HKDF output with RFC 5869 test vectors during cryptographic implementation testing.
Trace ECDH shared-secret derivation for protocol design and debugging.
Generate reproducible examples for explaining HMAC-based key derivation.

Examples

1. RFC 5869 SHA-256 test vector

Cryptography developer

Background

A developer wants to confirm that an HKDF implementation matches the first published RFC 5869 SHA-256 test case.

Problem

The final 42-byte output must be checked along with the intermediate Extract and Expand values.

How to use

Select the RFC 5869 SHA-256 test case 1 preset, keep SHA-256 and Hex selected, and set the output length to 42 bytes.

Preset: RFC 5869 SHA-256 test case 1; Hash: SHA-256; Encoding: Hex; Length: 42 bytes.

Outcome

The walkthrough displays the PRK, two Expand blocks, and a 42-byte OKM that matches the published vector.

2. ECDH protocol key derivation walkthrough

Protocol engineer

Background

An engineer is reviewing how an ECDH shared secret becomes protocol-specific key material.

Problem

The engineer needs to inspect the effect of the selected hash, salt, context label, and output length on the derived bytes.

How to use

Choose the ECDH shared-secret demo or Custom values, enter the IKM in the chosen encoding, add optional Salt and Info values, select a hash, and set the required byte length.

FAQ

What does this HKDF walkthrough calculate?

It shows the HMAC steps for HKDF Extract and Expand, including PRK, T(n), and OKM.

Which hash algorithms are supported?

You can select SHA-256, SHA-384, or SHA-512.

Which input encodings can I use?

IKM, salt, and info values can be entered as Hex, UTF-8 text, or Base64 according to the selected encoding.

What happens if I omit the salt?

An empty salt uses a zero-filled salt with a length equal to the selected hash output length.

Is this a secret-management service?

No. It is a deterministic learning walkthrough for development and test vectors.

Preset: ECDH shared-secret demo; Hash: SHA-256, SHA-384, or SHA-512; Encoding: Hex, UTF-8 text, or Base64; Length: 1–4096 bytes.

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Learn when to use this tool, what it supports, and how real users apply it.

Key facts

Overview

When to use

How it works

Use cases

Examples

1. RFC 5869 SHA-256 test vector

2. ECDH protocol key derivation walkthrough

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