# All Questions

574 views

### Alternatives to FHE for secure function evaluation

As a followup to a previous question I asked which was more related to Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), what other cryptographic methods are available for computing a private function on public and/...
454 views

783 views

### How can I generate a one-time password?

Through my reading about the generation of one-time password (OTP) I found that there are many algorithms that generate OTP and they are either based on time such as TOTP or based on mathematical ...
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 (...
740 views

### Can I secure my key by XORing it with a hashed password?

I'd like to build a simple password-protected symmetric key system. The key-creation process in my system operates as follows: The system creates a 256-bit key purely at random. The user chooses a ...
404 views

### How can one share information using the 'host-proof' paradigm?

I am attempting to make a web-based secure password management and sharing utility, both as an academic exercise and to fully understand and feel safe about using it. I really like the idea of a "...
212 views

### How can I store a combination of multiple pass phrases?

Let's assume we have 2 phrases, one is the real password from a user, and the other is generated from the real password and almost impossible to guess. You would need both to authenticate a user. What ...
309 views

### Are derived hashes weakening the root?

Given a root hash root = H(plaintext) and two (or more) derived hashes h1 = H(salt1 + root) h2 = H(salt2 + root) would the ...
151 views

### Combating traffic analysis over request-response protocols

Suppose I am to design a request-response protocol (similar HTTP). For the sake of simplicity let us assume that this is a "chat" protocol where the client can only perform two actions: Contribute a ...
1k views

### Standardized parameters for elliptic curve cryptography

When an elliptic curve-based cryptosystem is deployed, a single set of public parameters (consisting of a particular elliptic curve over a finite field as well as a generator of a prime order subgroup ...
826 views

### Can one group the SHA-256 outputs depending on partial inputs?

Is it possible to predict a hash key based on half key? Let's have some example: I have 100000000 hash results, and they are generated by either ...
412 views

### Exposing RSA private-key data… bad?

We know that exposing $p$, or $q$ or $\phi(n)$ results in trivial attacks on RSA since they allow us to factor $n$ and to compute the private exponent $d$. In OpenSSL (and most RSA implementations) ...
7k views

### Rijndael vs. Serpent vs. Twofish: General comparison

Can anyone explain (or give a link to document about) why Rijndaal won the AES, especially comparing it to other finalists (Serpent and Twofish)? What criteria were used to make decision? Or is there ...
6k views

### Which one of the Block Cipher modes is the best?

I have two questions regarding the Block Cipher Modes: Which one of the modes is considered the best? I know CBC has a problem of IV since the next block of the plain text is XORed with the result ...
379 views

### Realize a MAC using a Pseudo-random function?

Given a pseudo-random function and assuming that we do not have any other tools, How can we construct a MAC? I believe this can be done. Would like to know if there is more than one way of doing ...
2k views

### What are the advantages of a static ECDH key?

What are the advantages of using "static-ephemeral ECDH" over "ephemeral-ephemeral ECDH"?
2k views

### How does the MOV attack work?

What exactly is the MOV attack, how does it actually work, and what is it used for? It's explained briefly here and I'd like to know what it is more / what is it fully used for.
221 views

### Any techniques for evading frequency based crypt analysis without encrypting?

Are there any general techniques for evading frequency based crypt analysis without using any encryption techniques?
2k views

### What is the 'Version Incompatibility" Problem in TLS 1.1/1.2 and 1.0?

It's unclear to me if there are multiple problems, or a single one, (and just what that problem is) with servers incorrectly negotiating down from a client offering 1.1 or 1.2 to something they ...
176 views

### Is there a way to provide proof of batch RSA security?

Suppose we have two encrypted messages with two different public key issued from the one server. There is a client who wants to send these to messages to the server. In the middle there is an ...
4k views

### How can I calculate the SHA-256 “midstate”?

Recently I've been trying to implement some Bitcoin-related code, and I've stumbled upon a weird concept, a SHA-256 "midstate". Some explanation is given here. The general concept is that Bitcoin ...
675 views

### Is there some way to generate a non-predictable random number in a decentralised network?

Is there a way to generate a random number with given restrictions: It will be used in a decentralised network with a big number of peers (no central authority to generate it) Its generation should ...
1k views

### Passwords with same SALT. What does this mean?

If the same SALT is used for many passwords on a Linux server, in what way is that a security risk? Does the mean, that a user (which can change his own password) can calculate other users passwords? ...
565 views

### Threshold Signatures for RSA and DSA

I have a few questions relating to threshold signatures: a scheme where $n$ participants hold a key share and any $t$ of them can conduct a protocol using their shares that results in a valid RSA or ...
274 views

### Is there a known vulnerability when using identical key and salt with PBKDF2?

For optimum security, a random salt should be chosen for PBKDF2. I came across a scenario where I produce a hash of a random file that serves as the "password". Due to the nature of files, this has ...
2k views

### Why not use CTR with a randomized IV?

I'm currently reading the chapter of Cryptographic Engineering (Ferguson, Schneier, Kohno 2010) about block cipher modes of operation. They have recommended CBC with random IV instead of CTR due to ...
3k views

### How to attack a general polyalphabetic cipher?

I am able to decrypt vigenere cipher text using the index of coincidence and chi test. However out of interested how do you go about attacking ciphertext that was encrypted using a mix alphabet ...
305 views

### Undecrypt using the OpenSSL EVP API?

I'm writing a client-server encryption scheme for homework, and I've stumbled upon what might be a fatal blow to my current implementation. When using AES-256-CBC on the two sides, it's important ...
3k views

### How does PBKDF1 work?

I need some basic guideline on Password Based Key Derivation Function. PBKDF1 generates a key from password and salt using Hashing algorithm (like SHA1, SHA256, MD5). What is the step behind this?
4k views

### Secure way to transfer data over NFC?

I am currently writing a payment system to accept payment details from an NFC enabled smartphone (BlackBerry 9900) to a Windows client (C#.NET) I am currently having two issues relating to security: ...
1k views

### Is Common Name encoded in the certificate?

When I make a certificate like so cd /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/2.0/ source ./vars . /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/2.0/build-key client1 Then ...
309 views

### Best choice of finite field for AES on a 4-bit microcontroller?

As the finite field of $GF(2^8)$ are isomorphic to $GF((2^4)^2)$, $GF((2^2)^4)$ and $GF(((2^2)^2)^2)$, which of the fields is best suited and most efficient for 4-bit MCU and why? Would it be \$GF((2^4)...