diff --git a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
index 42c0df02a0..491b8e00c8 100644
--- a/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
+++ b/makefiles/pseudomodules.inc.mk
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += mpu_stack_guard
 ## This is a protection mechanism which makes exploitation of buffer overflows significantly harder.
 PSEUDOMODULES += mpu_noexec_ram
 
+PSEUDOMODULES += md5sum
 PSEUDOMODULES += mtd_write_page
 PSEUDOMODULES += nanocoap_%
 PSEUDOMODULES += netdev_default
@@ -196,6 +197,8 @@ PSEUDOMODULES += semtech_loramac_rx
 PSEUDOMODULES += senml_cbor
 PSEUDOMODULES += senml_phydat
 PSEUDOMODULES += senml_saul
+PSEUDOMODULES += sha1sum
+PSEUDOMODULES += sha256sum
 PSEUDOMODULES += shell_hooks
 PSEUDOMODULES += slipdev_stdio
 PSEUDOMODULES += slipdev_l2addr
diff --git a/sys/Makefile.dep b/sys/Makefile.dep
index c901784c60..019c00483f 100644
--- a/sys/Makefile.dep
+++ b/sys/Makefile.dep
@@ -334,6 +334,11 @@ ifneq (,$(filter shell_commands,$(USEMODULE)))
   endif
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(filter md5sum sha1sum sha256sum,$(USEMODULE)))
+  USEMODULE += vfs_util
+  USEMODULE += hashes
+endif
+
 ifneq (,$(filter posix_semaphore,$(USEMODULE)))
   USEMODULE += sema_deprecated
   USEMODULE += ztimer64_usec
diff --git a/sys/include/vfs_util.h b/sys/include/vfs_util.h
index aa70a20007..a6ae1ec911 100644
--- a/sys/include/vfs_util.h
+++ b/sys/include/vfs_util.h
@@ -51,6 +51,56 @@ int vfs_file_from_buffer(const char *file, const void *buf, size_t len);
  */
 int vfs_file_to_buffer(const char* file, void* buf, size_t len);
 
+#if MODULE_HASHES || DOXYGEN
+/**
+ * @brief   Compute the MD5 message digest of a file
+ *
+ *          Requires the `hashes` module.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  file     Source file path
+ * @param[out] digest   Destination buffer, must fit @ref MD5_DIGEST_LENGTH bytes
+ * @param[out] work_buf Work buffer
+ * @param[in] work_buf_len  Size of the work buffer
+ *
+ * @return  0 on success
+ * @return  negative error
+ */
+int vfs_file_md5(const char* file, void *digest,
+                 void *work_buf, size_t work_buf_len);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Compute the SHA1 message digest of a file
+ *
+ *          Requires the `hashes` module.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  file     Source file path
+ * @param[out] digest   Destination buffer, must fit @ref SHA1_DIGEST_LENGTH bytes
+ * @param[out] work_buf Work buffer
+ * @param[in] work_buf_len  Size of the work buffer
+ *
+ * @return  0 on success
+ * @return  negative error
+ */
+int vfs_file_sha1(const char* file, void *digest,
+                  void *work_buf, size_t work_buf_len);
+
+/**
+ * @brief   Compute the SHA256 message digest of a file
+ *
+ *          Requires the `hashes` module.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  file     Source file path
+ * @param[out] digest   Destination buffer, must fit @ref SHA256_DIGEST_LENGTH bytes
+ * @param[out] work_buf Work buffer
+ * @param[in] work_buf_len  Size of the work buffer
+ *
+ * @return  0 on success
+ * @return  negative error
+ */
+int vfs_file_sha256(const char* file, void *digest,
+                    void *work_buf, size_t work_buf_len);
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/sc_vfs.c b/sys/shell/commands/sc_vfs.c
index 98c15b00c2..aef82cabbc 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/sc_vfs.c
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/sc_vfs.c
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
 #include "vfs.h"
+#if MODULE_VFS_UTIL
+#include "vfs_util.h"
+#endif
 
 #define SHELL_VFS_BUFSIZE 256
 static uint8_t _shell_vfs_data_buffer[SHELL_VFS_BUFSIZE];
@@ -634,4 +637,93 @@ int _vfs_handler(int argc, char **argv)
         return 1;
     }
 }
+
+static inline void _print_digest(const uint8_t *digest, size_t len, const char *file)
+{
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
+        printf("%02x", digest[i]);
+    }
+    printf("  %s\n", file);
+}
+
+#if MODULE_MD5SUM
+#include "hashes/md5.h"
+int _vfs_md5sum_cmd(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    int res;
+    uint8_t digest[MD5_DIGEST_LENGTH];
+
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        printf("usage: %s [file] …\n", argv[0]);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
+        const char *file = argv[i];
+        res = vfs_file_md5(file, digest,
+                           _shell_vfs_data_buffer, sizeof(_shell_vfs_data_buffer));
+        if (res < 0) {
+            printf("%s: error %d\n", file, res);
+        } else {
+            _print_digest(digest, sizeof(digest), file);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
+#if MODULE_SHA1SUM
+#include "hashes/sha1.h"
+int _vfs_sha1sum_cmd(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    int res;
+    uint8_t digest[SHA1_DIGEST_LENGTH];
+
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        printf("usage: %s [file] …\n", argv[0]);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
+        const char *file = argv[i];
+        res = vfs_file_sha1(file, digest,
+                           _shell_vfs_data_buffer, sizeof(_shell_vfs_data_buffer));
+        if (res < 0) {
+            printf("%s: error %d\n", file, res);
+        } else {
+            _print_digest(digest, sizeof(digest), file);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif
+
+#if MODULE_SHA256SUM
+#include "hashes/sha256.h"
+int _vfs_sha256sum_cmd(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    int res;
+    uint8_t digest[SHA256_DIGEST_LENGTH];
+
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        printf("usage: %s [file] …\n", argv[0]);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 1; i < argc; ++i) {
+        const char *file = argv[i];
+        res = vfs_file_sha256(file, digest,
+                              _shell_vfs_data_buffer, sizeof(_shell_vfs_data_buffer));
+        if (res < 0) {
+            printf("%s: error %d\n", file, res);
+        } else {
+            _print_digest(digest, sizeof(digest), file);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+#endif
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c b/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
index 33a948a4d2..1b82f5aeeb 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/shell_commands.c
@@ -215,6 +215,18 @@ extern int _bootloader_handler(int argc, char **argv);
 extern int _gnrc_udp_cmd(int argc, char **argv);
 #endif
 
+#ifdef MODULE_MD5SUM
+extern int _vfs_md5sum_cmd(int argc, char **argv);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef MODULE_SHA1SUM
+extern int _vfs_sha1sum_cmd(int argc, char **argv);
+#endif
+
+#ifdef MODULE_SHA256SUM
+extern int _vfs_sha256sum_cmd(int argc, char **argv);
+#endif
+
 const shell_command_t _shell_command_list[] = {
     {"reboot", "Reboot the node", _reboot_handler},
     {"version", "Prints current RIOT_VERSION", _version_handler},
@@ -268,6 +280,15 @@ const shell_command_t _shell_command_list[] = {
 #ifdef MODULE_RTT_CMD
     {"rtt", "control RTC peripheral interface",  _rtt_handler},
 #endif
+#ifdef MODULE_MD5SUM
+    {"md5sum", "Compute and check MD5 message digest", _vfs_md5sum_cmd},
+#endif
+#ifdef MODULE_SHA1SUM
+    {"sha1sum", "Compute and check SHA1 message digest", _vfs_sha1sum_cmd},
+#endif
+#ifdef MODULE_SHA256SUM
+    {"sha256sum", "Compute and check SHA256 message digest", _vfs_sha256sum_cmd},
+#endif
 #ifdef MODULE_GNRC_IPV6_NIB
     {"nib", "Configure neighbor information base", _gnrc_ipv6_nib},
 #endif
diff --git a/sys/vfs_util/vfs_util.c b/sys/vfs_util/vfs_util.c
index a8ad75f3f5..adf7e7f13f 100644
--- a/sys/vfs_util/vfs_util.c
+++ b/sys/vfs_util/vfs_util.c
@@ -79,3 +79,78 @@ int vfs_file_to_buffer(const char* file, void* buf, size_t len)
 
     return res;
 }
+
+#if MODULE_HASHES
+#include "hashes/md5.h"
+#include "hashes/sha1.h"
+#include "hashes/sha256.h"
+
+int vfs_file_md5(const char* file, void *digest,
+                 void *work_buf, size_t work_buf_len)
+{
+    md5_ctx_t ctx;
+
+    int res, fd = vfs_open(file, O_RDONLY, 0);
+
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        DEBUG("can't open %s for reading\n", file);
+        return fd;
+    }
+
+    md5_init(&ctx);
+    while ((res = vfs_read(fd, work_buf, work_buf_len)) > 0) {
+        md5_update(&ctx, work_buf, res);
+    }
+    md5_final(&ctx, digest);
+
+    vfs_close(fd);
+
+    return res > 0 ? 0 : res;
+}
+
+int vfs_file_sha1(const char* file, void *digest,
+                  void *work_buf, size_t work_buf_len)
+{
+    sha1_context ctx;
+    int res, fd = vfs_open(file, O_RDONLY, 0);
+
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        DEBUG("can't open %s for reading\n", file);
+        return fd;
+    }
+
+    sha1_init(&ctx);
+    while ((res = vfs_read(fd, work_buf, work_buf_len)) > 0) {
+        sha1_update(&ctx, work_buf, res);
+    }
+    sha1_final(&ctx, digest);
+
+    vfs_close(fd);
+
+    return res > 0 ? 0 : res;
+
+}
+
+int vfs_file_sha256(const char* file, void *digest,
+                    void *work_buf, size_t work_buf_len)
+{
+    sha256_context_t ctx;
+    int res, fd = vfs_open(file, O_RDONLY, 0);
+
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        DEBUG("can't open %s for reading\n", file);
+        return fd;
+    }
+
+    sha256_init(&ctx);
+    while ((res = vfs_read(fd, work_buf, work_buf_len)) > 0) {
+        sha256_update(&ctx, work_buf, res);
+    }
+    sha256_final(&ctx, digest);
+
+    vfs_close(fd);
+
+    return res > 0 ? 0 : res;
+
+}
+#endif /* MODULE_HASHES */