PocketHash

File hashes can be very helpful when trying to determine whether a file has been changed in any way, and they also used by online malware scanners to provide users with quick results if a file mas already been analyzed recently.

PocketHash is a very small program that allows you to calculate hashes using drag and drop, as well as view the most recent VirusTotal scan log for executable files. It is portable and easy to use, but it would still benefit from some improvements.

Since it does not need to be installed before use, PocketHash can be launched as soon as you have downloaded the executable file. To generate hash values, simply drop a file in the main window.

At present, the application generates MD5, SHA1 and SHA256 hashes, and it also calculates the file’s entropy. It would have been great if it offered support for additional algorithms.

When processing an EXE file, the application grabs the most recent scan result from VirusTotal and displays a summary in the bottom field. You can get an idea of how dangerous a file might be from the number of alerts that it triggered.

It is worth noting, however, that scan logs are only grabbed for executable files. Also, if a file has not been scanned already, the program cannot upload it, so you will have to access VirusTotal and scan it manually.

As far as the user interface is concerned, there isn’t too much to say. The application has a very simplistic design, with no buttons and just a few fields where data is displayed.

Overall, PocketHash can definitely prove helpful, but it could use some enhancements. Aside from a modernized UI, we would like to be able to view VirusTotal scan logs for other types of files, and support for more hashing algorithms would also be welcome.