Reference comparison

Archive Encryption Comparison — ZipCrypto, WinZip AES, RAR, 7-Zip

TL;DR — Archive password protection ranges from trivially weak (PKZIP ZipCrypto, 1989) to modern strong (7-Zip and RAR5 with AES-256 + high-iteration KDFs). Knowing which scheme your archive uses is the single biggest predictor of recovery feasibility.

The five generations at a glance

PKZIP ZipCrypto (1989, modes 17200-17230): structurally weak custom stream cipher. Effectively recoverable in most practical cases.

WinZip AES-128 (2003, AE-1): AES-128 + PBKDF2-SHA1 with 1000 iterations. Cipher sound; KDF moderate; recovery depends on password.

WinZip AES-256 (2003+, mode 13600): AES-256 + PBKDF2-SHA1 with 1000 iterations. Same as AE-1 with 256-bit key.

RAR3 (2002, mode 12500): AES-128 + custom SHA-1 KDF (262K iterations). Recovery feasible for typical passwords.

RAR5 (2013, mode 13000): AES-256 + PBKDF2-SHA256 (32K+ iterations). Substantially harder than RAR3.

7-Zip (2000s+, mode 11600): AES-256 + SHA-256-based KDF (NumCyclesPower=19, ~524K ops). Comparable to RAR5.

Recovery feasibility ranking

Easiest (effectively guaranteed for most cases): ZipCrypto modes 17200-17230. Cipher weakness combined with predictable plaintext.

Moderate (depends on password): WinZip AES (mode 13600), RAR3 (mode 12500). Sound ciphers but lower KDF costs leave room for brute force.

Hardest (only weak passwords): 7-Zip (mode 11600), RAR5 (mode 13000). High KDF costs significantly slow per-password verification.

Choosing protection for new archives

For archive owners who want strong protection: 7-Zip with NumCyclesPower=22+ or RAR5 with extreme settings provide the strongest practical encryption.

For archives intended for distribution to mixed audiences: WinZip AES-256 has the best compatibility. Most modern unzip tools support it.

For maximum compatibility (older Windows, simple recipients): ZipCrypto works everywhere — but treat it as anti-tamper, not secret-keeping.

Identifying what you have

7-Zip and similar inspection tools print encryption type per file. Hashcat hash-extraction utilities (zip2john, 7z2john, rar2john) produce hashes that disambiguate the mode.

When in doubt, run a free analysis — it identifies the mode without requiring the password.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the strongest archive encryption in common use?

7-Zip with elevated NumCyclesPower or RAR5 with extreme PBKDF2 iterations. Both are AES-256 with very expensive KDFs.

Is ZipCrypto worth using at all?

Only as anti-tamper UX, not as actual secrecy. Anyone with modern recovery tooling can extract content. For real protection, use WinZip AES, RAR5, or 7-Zip.

Can I tell which mode my archive uses without the password?

Yes. Inspection tools print the encryption method per file. Hash-extraction utilities print the hash format that maps directly to a Hashcat mode.

Why so many ZIP modes (17200, 17210, 17220, 17225, 17230)?

They reflect different plaintext structures (compressed vs stored vs mixed) and verification strategies (full vs checksum-only). Cipher is identical across all.

Are there modes I'd encounter outside Hashcat's list?

Yes — proprietary archive formats (Stuffit, ARJ, ACE, custom enterprise systems) have their own protection schemes. The major-format Hashcat modes cover ~95% of practical archive recovery cases.

Related references

m17200Structurally weak cipher m13600Modern strong encryption m13000Modern strong m11600Modern strong

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