# All Questions

1answer
171 views

### Verifiable, Distributed Secret Santa Assignments

My family was planning a secret santa and I thought about how I might write a little web app to dole out these secret assignments. But the downsides to this approach are obvious: there's no way for ...
2answers
125 views

### Strange MAC algorithm

I'm working with a payment provider which uses the following algorithm for signing messages: The merchant is securely given a secret key k, known to them and the ...
1answer
210 views

### What is the use of segments in Cipher Feedback Mode (CFB)

In NIST SP800-38A: Recommendation for Block Cipher Modes of Operation CFB can be used with a parameter s - the size of a data segment in bits - which determines the ...
0answers
398 views

### Consequences of AES without any one of its operations

Suppose AES-$128$. There are $4$ operations in AES's encryption, they are SubByte, Shift Row, MixColumns and AddRoundKey. Question: If I remove one of the following opearations, what will happen to ...
2answers
69 views

### Condition on Vector Boolean Function to be Bijective

Suppose the vector boolean function be \begin{align} f:F^n_2 \longrightarrow F_2^n \\ (x_1,\dots ,x_n) \longrightarrow (x_2,\dots x_n,g) \\ \\ g:F^n_2 \longrightarrow F_2 \\ (x_1,\dots ,x_n) ...
1answer
640 views

### AES with weak keys

Suppose that the key generation is insecure; each key bit is independently generated, but the value of each key bit is '$1$' with probability $0.90$. These keys are used in AES. What is an efficient ...
2answers
378 views

### RSA-KEM construction

"Create a random key for CCPA2 scheme, encrypt m, send it along with a PK encryption of the symmetric key. " Say in the process, the KDF is HMAC, then: get a random key (128-bit) C1 = encrypt ...
3answers
125 views

### How a file is encrypted?

I thought encryption algorithms(like AES) are used to encrypt texts,so how a file or folder(containing pictures,videos,...) is encrypted?What is encrypted exactly?
3answers
5k views

### What is the most secure hand cipher?

By "hand cipher", I mean a symmetric cipher for which encryption and decryption can can both be performed with a pencil on graph paper, consuming about 10-20 seconds per character by a proficient ...
3answers
149 views

### Are modified implementations of cryptographic algorithms a good idea?

Are modified implementations of standard cryptographic algorithms better that the standard versions? Since the algorithm is not standard, is it harder to break? Is it safer?
1answer
60 views

### CSPRNG's (ELI5) What's the purpose of multiple seeds/ regenerating sources of entropy (i.e. /dev/random)?

Why is there a need to generate more than one high entropy seed? It would seem like if the original source of entropy is high quality, than some 512 bits should be more than enough to seed a CSPRNG ...
0answers
63 views

### Permutation parity after cycle-walking

Let $E$ be a random even permutation of the set $\{0\dots n-1\}$. We construct a permutation $P$ of the set $\{0\dots m-1\}$, for some $m\le n$, using cycle-walking; that is, computing $P(x)$ is as ...
5answers
583 views

### Can hashing become encrypting?

hashing some data and encrypting data share some similar attributes. Surely this is why "Difference between encrypting something and hashing something" has been asked. The point of this question is ...
2answers
294 views

### Using bcrypt derived keys for encryption?

Sorry for this ignorant question but I am currently weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of BCrypt over PBKDF2 and from what I have read BCrypt is considered more secure but from what I have ...
1answer
892 views

### what are the security benefits of LUKS?

Aremed with only basic crypto knowledge, I'm trying to understand the security benefits of LUKS over plain-mode dm-crypt. Hopefully this is a good place to ask. Given the LUKS header contains ...
1answer
51 views

### Why has SSL v3 not yet been upgraded to a higher version with stronger principles, what are the dependencies and issues to do so?

SSLv3 is almost 18 years old; why has it not been updated to a more advanced version with stronger rules and structure. What have been the issues and dependencies in doing so till now???
1answer
130 views

### RSA: Fermat-Euler Theorem - coprimality of message and modulus [duplicate]

I understand the implication of the Fermat-Euler theorem and how it applies to RSA and the detailed explanation by user Ninefingers at What is the relation between RSA & Fermat's little ...
1answer
562 views

### IPsec authentication and encryption lgorithms

I am looking for the implementation of IPsec security algorithms for both authentication and Encryption. Is there any open source implementation available for the same ? And if someone supposed to ...
2answers
331 views

### Can RSA signing be implemented on top of RSA encryption/decryption?

I need to use RSA-SHA256 signing. Unfortunately not all Microsoft CryptoAPI providers support that. It's possible that I might get a handle to a CryptoAPI provider that can just encrypt/decrypt with ...
1answer
81 views

### ASCII input to HMAC weaker than raw bytes?

In various cryptographic programs I've written (most have been toy problems, but this current one is not) I have taken a slothful approach to performing a message digest (hash) of numerical input. I ...
1answer
246 views

### Why is this cryptosystem insecure?

Can someone help me see the flaw in this cryptosystem? Note: This is homework and it is due today at 1:30pm. An answer before that is not expected; I'd just like to understand what the flaw is. ...
2answers
1k views

### Attacks of the MAC construction $\mathcal{H}(m||k)$ for common hashes $\mathcal{H}$?

Consider a common practically-collision-resistant hash function $\mathcal{H}$ (e.g. SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512, RIPEMD-160), perhaps based on the Merkle–Damgård construction as are the first three. We ...
1answer
59 views

### TLS - self encrypting to avoid tls setup, secure?

I am in doubt : of course one can create a tl connection between a client and a server. But what if the client sends self encrypted with, say, blowfish, data to the server? The goal is that the ...
1answer
113 views

### Random Permutation polynomial

I need to know, please: (1) Is there anyway to pick uniformly at random permutation polynomial in a field of prime order? (2) Are there many permutation polynomials in a field? (3) In a finite ...
0answers
40 views

### Why HMAC=H(message|key) is unsafe? [duplicate]

As mentioned in wikipedia, HMAC=H(message|key) is not safe, but I don't know the reason. Anyone can tell me why? or give me an example? Thank you in advance.
1answer
100 views

### What is “electronic” in electronic codebook (ECB)?

This is an honest question regarding terminology. I believe that I understand why one mode to use a block cipher is called a codebook. But I wonder why electronic as a work appears here? Is it fair ...
1answer
93 views

### What does $\mathbb Z_p^*$ contain?

I have a prime $p = 7$ and was tasked to select a random value in $\mathbb Z_p^*$ in my signature scheme. What does the full range of $\mathbb Z_p^*$ contain in this case? Is it $\{0...7\}$ or ...
1answer
418 views

### How can we prove that two discrete logarithms are equal?

Suppose there are two elements $a = g^x$ and $b = h^x$, where $g$ and $h$ are generators in $Z^*_p$ and $p$ is a large prime. How can we prove that $a$ and $b$ have the same discrete logarithms with ...
0answers
92 views

### Opinion on my idea for storing credit cards securely

I've been thinking of ways to store credit cards securely, I thought of this: Take the users credit card info Put the card info in a standard format "Full Name/Card Num/Security Num/Expiry ...
1answer
242 views

### what is SALSA20 Nonce and its requirements [duplicate]

what is the source of nonce in SALSA20 algorithm. basically who provides the value of nonce in SALSA20 algorithm
0answers
157 views

### As a cryptographer, what are the things I should care about in my implementation of pairing functions?

As a beginner in cryptography, I do not know anything about different pairing types more than their names. So far, I know these names: Ate pairing, tate pairing, eta pairing, and r-ate pairing. I am ...
1answer
120 views

### Storing salts and iteration number?

I have a function that derives two sub-keys from one passphrase using PBKDF2 one which is used as a encryption key the other for HMAC generation, because these two sub-keys will need to be regenerated ...
0answers
104 views

### Does the SSH protocol preserve integrity if an endpoint is cloned?

I am trying to find out if the SSH protocol preserves integrity of the transferred data in the following scenario: The SSH client is running on a virtual machine, at some point in the middle of the ...
0answers
150 views

### How can I prove CPA secure by using a new scheme gen,enc,dec from GEN,ENC,DEC?

Given public key encryption scheme $(gen; enc; dec)$, we now construct a new scheme $(Gen; Enc; Dec)$ as follows: The key generation algorithm $Gen$ is the same as $gen$. Each ciphertext for a ...
2answers
316 views

### Need 32-bit mixing function that has perfect avalanche between octets

for my hobby tinkering project, I need a mixing function that takes 32-bit input and has 32-bit output (and will, most likely, run in a 32-bit C environment) and the following property (independent of ...
1answer
188 views

### Determining message given cipher-text and public key [duplicate]

Consider the following scenario: Suppose A and B have set up their RSA public keys, namely $(e_a, n)$ and $(e_b, n)$, where the n-value is the same. Also, it happens that the \$\gcd (e_a, e_b) ...
3answers
2k views

### How do public key rings work in cryptographic applications?

I am wondering if there are any links to articles or resources available online, or explanations that you can give, that would help me to understand the concept of a public key ring, and why I might ...
2answers
231 views

### Is it possible to decrypt the entire message with one half of the key in this example?

In this scheme, a 256 bit key is split into two 128 bit sub-keys. Message blocks are 256 bits and are also split into two sub-blocks. Before encryption, each sub-block is xor'd with it's partner and ...
3answers
292 views

### Is it true the longer the key length is the more secure the encryption?

Then why don't we use xxxxxxx bits encryption? what stopping us from using a very lengthy key? I am referring to the encryption we use with SSL
4answers
247 views

### Why do we need to compute message digest of a message first while signing it?

Why it is more efficient to compute a message digest of message and digitally sign it then, rather than sign the message directly?
1answer
109 views

### What is the value of Q such that Q|P-1 where P is a prime number?

For my crypto assignment, I'm asked to enter a prime P and generate Q such that Q|P-1 Can anyone guide me what is Q|P-1?
4answers
263 views

### Can we give access to controlled functionality in Fully homomorphic encryption schemes?

Homomorphic encryption schemes are PKE schemes with an additional special method Evaluate. Evaluate method takes input any function (as boolean circuit) and encrypted inputs of the function and ...
2answers
779 views

### Is RSA encryption of a cryptographic hash with a private key the same as signature generation?

It is often said that RSA encryption with a private key is the same as signing (signature generation). Will RSA encryption with a private key over a cryptographic hash give the same result as ...
5answers
2k views

### Crypto-Compression Algorithms?

I was wondering, whether there exist such algorithms/enciphering procedures which both compress and encrypt the input data. That means, for starters, the output will be both smaller in size and ...
1answer
525 views

### Are there some problems to use pseudo-random number generator in Smart Card?

A Smart Card is a kind of secure device, with limited storage capacity and computational resource. If we use a Pseudo-Random Number Generator to generate random numbers in a Smart Card, then is there ...
1answer
58 views

### Available programs that can verify the working of a simple substitution cipher

Is there any tool available that can test whether a simple substitution cipher is working. I will put my scenario in detail. Lets say I built a simple substitution cipher that maps 8 bit data to 16 ...
1answer
255 views

### Repeated XOR decryption [closed]

I have this message in Hex: ...
1answer
178 views

### Davies-Meyer Hash Function

So the Davies-Meyer Hash Function is: Hi = Hi−1 ⊕ exi (Hi−1) Say I pick H0 = 1110 0011 And the message x1 = "5" or "0000 0101" Is this the correct way to compute H1? H1 = 1110 0011 ⊕ (0000 0101 ⊕ ...
2answers
996 views

### What does “circuits” mean in Cryptography?

I am not a hardcore cryptographer so this might be a really stupid question. I am looking through some papers in homomorphic encryption and discovered they describe computation as "circuits", why do ...
3answers
203 views

### Linear transformation proof

Ok, so I have this question and I honestly have no idea how to prove it. I know that the function is linear and I know it works for every possible combination, I just don't know how to prove it in an ...

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