# How to enhance randomness of AES?

I'm using PHP to encrypt a string and Java to decrypt it on a remote server. To perform the encryption, I'm using the strategy that can be found here.

My problem is that the strings I encrypt are pretty small and very similar each other. Nevertheless, I'd like a high degree of randomness in the encrypted values.

Just to be clear, at current this is what happens:

$$encrypt(foo1) \rightarrow barA$$ $$encrypt(foo2) \rightarrow barB$$

While I'd like something like:

$$encrypt(foo1) \rightarrow b3SA$$ $$encrypt(foo2) \rightarrow 4FrB$$

How can I enhance the randomness of the encrypted values, by keeping the algorithm I'm already using?

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I see that you're using an initialization vector. If that's sufficiently random, I believe you should be good. Padding to a specific size multiple may also be advisable. Change your IV for every message, of course. –  Jeff Ferland Sep 28 '11 at 16:59

If you are doing things right, then you will get the level of randomness you are after. Translation: you are not doing things right. You use AES with CFB8 mode, which requires a random initial value. The initial value is a 16-byte string which should be generated randomly and uniformly, and a new IV shall be generated for every single encrypted message. Since you need it for decryption, the IV for an encrypted message shall be stored/transmitted along with the said message.

Failure to use a new IV for each message results in a wide range of weaknesses, including what you are witnessing right now (if two strings begin with the same characters, the resulting encrypted strings will also begin with the same bytes).

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At first, I didn't realize I could have passed the IV along with the message without losing in security. Thanks for clarifying this, it works perfectly now. –  Roberto Aloi Sep 28 '11 at 18:47