SFV is an acronym for simple file verification, a checksum format using the CRC32 algorithm to verify the integrity or authenticity of files. CRC32, and thus also SFV, should generally be avoided for file verification since the CRC32 format is vulnerable to intentional modification that cannot be detected.
Check Sum
Files can become corrupted for a variety of reasons including: faulty storage media, errors in transmission, write errors during copying or moving, and so on. SFV allows a person to ensure that a file has not become corrupted by comparing a hash applied a file to see that they are equal. SFV also allows users to verify the authenticity of files, since if a file was changed (say, with the addition of mallicious code) the hash 'fingerprint' of the file would change and alter the user that the authenticity of the file is in question.
One of the first programs to use the SFV format was WinSFV. Other SFV programs include {list}.
SFV uses a plain-text file containing one line for each file and its checksum in the format FILENAME CHECKSUM. Any line containing a semicolon ';' is considered to be a comment line and is ignored for the purposes of file verification. A sample SFV file appears as follows:
- file1.zip c45ad668
- file2.zip 7903b8e6
See Also