Strong key

Last updated

A strong key is a naming convention in computer programming. Multiple components (such as DLLs) may share the same name while differing in version, a situation that can result in versioning conflicts.[ citation needed ]

In the Microsoft .NET Framework, a strong key, also known as an SN key or strong name, is used to uniquely identify a component. This identification relies in part on public-key cryptography. [1]

Strong names ensure reliable binding between components, or between a root key and a component. However, they do not provide tamper resistance for the files containing those components. [2] Strong naming is also used as a mechanism to mitigate issues commonly referred to as DLL hell.

The key itself is generated by a separate program as a cryptographic key pair.

References

  1. ↑ gewarren. "Strong-named assemblies - .NET". learn.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  2. ↑ CodeProject: Building Security Awareness in .NET Assemblies : Part 3 - Learn to break Strong Name .NET Assemblies.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.