---
id: pysha3
version: "1.0.2"
license: PSFL (Keccak: CC0 1.0 Universal)
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# pysha3 — SHA-3 (Keccak) for Python 2.7 - 3.5

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 117.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pysha3 is a wrapper around the optimized Keccak Code Package that brings SHA-3, SHAKE, and legacy Keccak hash algorithms to Python 2.7 and 3.4–3.5. It provides constructors (sha3_256, sha3_512, shake_128, shake_256, and keccak variants) with a PEP 247 compatible interface and automatically monkey-patches hashlib so you can call hashlib.sha3_512() directly.

The package is a backport of Python 3.6's native SHA-3 support. It implements the official NIST standard (delimiter 0x06) as of version 1.0, while also offering pre-finalization Keccak hashes (delimiter 0x01) under the keccak_ prefix. The C extension has been tested on Linux, Windows, and ARM platforms. However, the repository is archived and unmaintained since 2017.

Use it for:

- Compute SHA-3 hashes on Python 2.7 or 3.4–3.5 before native support was added.
- Access SHAKE variable-length hash functions (shake_128, shake_256) on older Python versions.
- Verify or generate Keccak hashes for systems that predate NIST's SHA-3 finalization.
- Integrate SHA-3 hashing into legacy applications locked to Python 2.7 or early Python 3.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides SHA-3, SHAKE, and Keccak hash functions for Python 2.7 through 3.5, with a PEP 247 compatible interface that monkey-patches hashlib.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 05-Feb-2017, repository archived), carries two known vulnerabilities, and is obsolete for Python 3.6+. If you are on Python 2.7 or 3.4–3.5, you may have no alternative, but those Python versions are themselves end-of-life. Use built-in hashlib support on modern Python, or migrate away from unsupported Python versions.

## Install

pip install pysha3
uv add pysha3
poetry add pysha3

## Installing pysha3

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled C extension requiring a build toolchain. Repository is archived and abandoned; no active maintenance since last release on 05-Feb-2017.

License in practice: Dual-licensed under PSFL and CC0 1.0 Universal (Keccak code). Both are permissive; the CC0 dedication places Keccak portions in the public domain. No restrictions on use or redistribution.

Quickstart:

import hashlib
import pysha3

s = hashlib.sha3_512()
s.update(b"data")
print(s.hexdigest())

Requires a C compiler and build tools to compile the extension. Python 2.6 and earlier are not supported.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the two known vulnerabilities (GHSA-6w4m-2xhg-2658, PYSEC-2026-504) affect current deployments.
- Current compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.5, given the package is abandoned.
- Whether Python 3.6+ users should migrate to built-in hashlib support instead.

## Package facts

- License: PSFL (Keccak: CC0 1.0 Universal) (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 117.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: 2

## Tags

sha3 hash python, keccak hashing library, shake256 shake128, cryptographic hash functions, nist sha-3 implementation, abandoned, legacy-python, cryptographic-hash

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