Is it possible to break SHA-512? Is it possible to break the SHA-512 hash algorithm?

Are there any successful attacks out there?
Is it possible to break the SHA-512 hash algorithm?


We don't know. That is: it is impossible to prove that there aren't any attacks possible on SHA-512. But that doesn't mean that it can or cannot be broken.


  Are there any successful attacks out there?


No, except length extension attacks, which are possible on any unaltered or extended Merkle-Damgard hash construction (SHA-1, MD5 and many others, but not SHA-3 / Keccak). If that's a problem depends on how the hash is used. In general cryptographic hashes are not considered broken just because they suffer from length extension attacks.

The SHA-3 competition was created to replace SHA-2 in case it would be broken in the same way as it's predecessor, SHA-1. However during the competition it became clear that SHA-2 in itself looks pretty secure.