hyperledger/fabric · error

Unknown hashing algorithm type: %s

Error message

Unknown hashing algorithm type: %s

What it means

ChannelConfig's hashing algorithm is validated against the BCCSP-supported list: only SHA256 and SHA3_256 are accepted. Any other value in the HashingAlgorithm config value causes validateHashingAlgorithm to return "Unknown hashing algorithm type: %s". The field controls how block data is hashed chain-wide, so it must match a supported primitive.

Source

Thrown at common/channelconfig/channel.go:206

		}
	}

	// We validate no global endpoints at V3_0 or above
	if channelCapabilities.ConsensusTypeBFT() {
		return cc.validateNoOrdererAddresses()
	}

	return nil
}

func (cc *ChannelConfig) validateHashingAlgorithm() error {
	switch cc.protos.HashingAlgorithm.Name {
	case bccsp.SHA256:
		cc.hashingAlgorithm = util.ComputeSHA256
	case bccsp.SHA3_256:
		cc.hashingAlgorithm = util.ComputeSHA3256
	default:
		return fmt.Errorf("Unknown hashing algorithm type: %s", cc.protos.HashingAlgorithm.Name)
	}

	return nil
}

func (cc *ChannelConfig) validateBlockDataHashingStructure() error {
	if cc.protos.BlockDataHashingStructure.Width != math.MaxUint32 {
		return fmt.Errorf("BlockDataHashStructure width only supported at MaxUint32 in this version")
	}
	return nil
}

func (cc *ChannelConfig) validateOrdererAddresses() error {
	if len(cc.protos.OrdererAddresses.Addresses) == 0 {
		return fmt.Errorf("Must set some OrdererAddresses")
	}
	return nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 2736b63f8f)

Solutions

1. Set HashingAlgorithm to SHA256 in configtx.yaml (the standard) and regenerate the config
2. Use SHA3_256 only if the network explicitly requires it
3. Fix case sensitivity — the comparison is exact ("SHA256", not "sha256")
4. If the value is empty, add the HashingAlgorithm value to the Channel group

Example fix

# before
Channel:
    HashingAlgorithm: sha256

# after
Channel:
    HashingAlgorithm: SHA256

func hashingAlgorithmSupported(name string) bool {
    return name == bccsp.SHA256 || name == bccsp.SHA3_256
}
// check the decoded value before NewBundle/NewChannelConfig

cc, err := channelconfig.NewChannelConfig(channelGroup, bccsp)
if err != nil {
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "Unknown hashing algorithm") {
        return fmt.Errorf("set HashingAlgorithm to SHA256 and resubmit")
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: channelGroup's HashingAlgorithm config value has a Name other than "SHA256" or "SHA3_256" — e.g. "sha256" (wrong case), "SHA512", "MD5", or an empty/zero-value proto. Reached via NewChannelConfig→Validate chain (TestHashingAlgorithm exercises it directly).

Common situations: Typo or wrong case in a hand-edited config (proto fields are case-sensitive); copying config from another blockchain framework; HashingAlgorithm value left unset so Name is ""; experimental algorithm not supported by BCCSP.

Related errors

• BlockDataHashStructure width only supported at MaxUint32 in
• Internal error, BCCSP could not be initialized : %s
• found unknown private key type (%T) in msg signing
• found unknown private key type (%T) in PKCS#8 wrapping
• failed to parse private key: %v

AI-assisted analysis of hyperledger/fabric@2736b63f8f (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/dd2fe6228533f61d. Report an issue: GitHub.