SHA-256

Cryptographic integrity verification.

What is it?

SHA-256 is a cryptographic hash function that produces a unique 256-bit (32-byte) fingerprint for any input. Change a single byte of the input and the hash changes completely. It is computationally infeasible to find two different inputs that produce the same hash.

In Membot

Every brain cartridge includes a _manifest.json file containing SHA-256 hashes of all cartridge components. When a cartridge is mounted, Membot recomputes the hashes and compares them to the manifest. If any file has been tampered with, the mount is rejected.

Why it matters

Brain cartridges are designed to be portable — shared, downloaded, and swapped between systems. Without integrity verification, a tampered cartridge could inject false memories into an agent's recall. SHA-256 hashing ensures that what you mount is exactly what was built.

Properties

• Deterministic — same input always produces the same hash
• Avalanche effect — a single changed bit produces a completely different hash
• One-way — cannot reconstruct the input from the hash
• Collision resistant — infeasible to find two inputs with the same hash

Further reading

Brain cartridges — the file format overview