Git 3.0's upcoming SHA-256 default will be a costly mistake

Git 3.0 is set to introduce SHA-256 as the default content hashing algorithm. This change, while mathematically stronger than the current SHA-1 algorithm, is expected to cause significant time and stress for users with little practical benefit. Git is a content addressable database that uses SHA-1 hashes to ensure the integrity of stored data.

SHA-1 has been considered semi-broken since 2017 due to published collision attacks, despite the impracticality of exploiting it on a large scale. The upcoming switch to SHA-256 aims to address these vulnerabilities, but the cost and complexity of the transition may outweigh the benefits.