# All Questions

262 views

### Using chi square for distinguishing between compressed and random data

I am trying to find some measurement for identifying and distinguishing between compressed and random data. I tried this first by computing the entropy of such data, the entropy value is extremely ...
1k views

### Hash function in PBKDF2

From this excellent answer I learned (correct me if I am wrong) that when writing a block cipher with say key size 128 bit, one has to pad the password given (variable size) so that it becomes exactly ...
533 views

### How secure is my OTP program?

I'm writing an One-Time Pad encryption program, because I got really interested in the idea of " encryption which has been proven to be impossible to crack if used correctly". I'm writing the program ...
284 views

### LFSR dynamic mutation

In normal LFSR, the state is a function of the initial seed, taps positions and time, nothing else. I've seen a modification of LFSR that works like this: ...
14k views

### How to use RCON In Key Expansion of 128 Bit Advanced Encryption Standard

I have a question about RCON here is my illustration... this is the 128 bit key.. ...
171 views

### Does security under ROM imply exactly what?

I'm not sure I understand really the implications of proofs of security in the random oracle model. Does a proof of security in ROM translate to a reduction of security of the crypto-system to the ...
352 views

### How safe is it to derive MAC key from a hashed password?

Imagine I have a blob that I want to encrypt-then-MAC. Now, what I can realistically ask my users for (out of UX considerations) is just an encryption password. Naturally, I bcrypt original password ...
962 views

### Malleability of ElGamal and Hashed ElGamal

Question: Suppose A encrypts a number $x$ which indicates her bid on a contract, using ElGamal encryption. Say that the encryption of $x$ produces a ciphertext $c$. Explain how E can modify $c$ to ...
187 views

### When is an asymmetric scheme considered broken?

Does the following quote imply that valid encrypted data can be created and decrypted by someone other than the owner of a private key: An asymmetric encryption scheme is considered to be broken ...
73 views

### How can I formally verify fuzzy commitment scheme based security protocol?

I am currently working on designing a security protocol which involves usage of fuzzy commitment schemes, for. eg Reed-Solomon codes which allows us to tolerate a certain level of error. I was ...
110 views

### Differential Cryptanalysis for Hash functions

How is differential cryptanalysis used to attack hash functions? I've been struggling through a couple academic papers and thesis's on the subject but they all sound like greek to me. Does anyone know ...
94 views

### How can we define division operation by using Fully homomorphic encryption

Last fews months, I'm working with homomorphic encryption. Now I am dealing with some computational problems with integers or real-numbers (like arithmetic mean, standard deviation) where division is ...
117 views

### Counting points on elliptic curve over binary field

How to count number of rational points on elliptic curve over binary field?
145 views

### Is there any alternative for extended euclidean algorithm to perform modulo division?

I'm implementing point addition and point doubling operations for elliptic curve cryptography. I have implemented extended euclidean algorithm to perform modulo division. It appears the that ...
331 views

### Deciphering “easy” ciphers without hints

I've been keen on IT Security for a long time now and I've learned a lot about networking & security. However trying a "decryption challenge" I'm lacking what I think is basic ...
144 views

### How to find the value of a vector modulo a basis in lattice-based cryptography

In Gentry's paper on fully homomorphic encryption using ideal lattices, he finds the values of vectors modulo a certain basis. For instance: $\psi \leftarrow \psi' \mod B$ Taken from page 69 of ...
603 views

### What is the purpose of pre master secret in SSL/TLS?

I studied about SSL/TLS and learned that client and server must share keys below. common key for encryption common key for generating message authentication code Then, in SSL/TLS, a client doesn't ...
89 views

### For which RSA moduli, precisely, is $e=d$ for all $e$?

This question shows that there are at least two valid RSA moduli $n$, namely $35$ and $91$, such that for any $e$ coprime to $\lambda(n)$, $$e^2\equiv1\mod\lambda(n)\text.$$ Reading the linked ...
377 views

### Statistical properties of hash functions when calculating modulo

When using SHA-1 to hash an input, the result is a pseudo-random number in the numeric ID space $\{0\dots2^{160}-1\}$. Do I loose any statistical property in the result if I use modulo to restrict the ...
155 views

### Is a strong block cipher usable as a strong sponge function?

From the literature, it looks like the security proofs of sponge functions depend on how well they approximate a random permutation, Since a block cipher also ideally behaves like a random permutation ...
194 views

### Which public key encryption scheme is re-randomizable? How can I re-randomize an encryption scheme?

Which public key encryption scheme is re-randomizable? Is there any library for re-randomizable encryption scheme? If not, how can I re-randomize a given public key encryption scheme? I cannot find ...
456 views

### Test Vectors for ciphers

While implementing ciphers (/hash functions, ...), I often face this problem: Where to find test vectors for it; so that I can guarantee my program is correct. It is generally a tedious job to find ...
513 views

### Whitening and randomness extraction

The Von Neumann randomness extractor is explicitly mentioned in the randomness extractor page of Wikipedia, but strangely enough that page does not contain any reference to whitening the results of an ...
881 views

287 views

### No IV for one off symmetric file encryption

My question is (hopefully, for somebody) a simple one; but my project is holding as I'm not sure. I read on SO that generating encryption keys without an IV is a bad idea, so is using a constant IV ...
1k views

### If RSA is limited to 117-200 bytes or so, is that a very limited use case?

Am I missing something, or is RSA very very limiting when it comes to ecrypting data when it comes to the actual message size? I have read that you can only encrypt a message of around 117 to 200 ...
2k views

### How to test if a number is a primitive root?

How to test if a number is a primitive root, assuming the modulus is a prime? And if not? Is it not enough if the number is relatively prime to the modulus or prime?
575 views

### Why is the discrete log problem easy when the exponent comes from a binomial distribution?

I read in http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/7219/2/esorics06.pdf that in exponential El Gamal the discrete log problem for recovering $m$ from $g^m$ can be made tractable when $m$ is drawn from a binomial ...
3k views

### SHA256 HMAC brute force with chosen plaintext attacks

This is a follow up to Is It Possible To Reconstruct a Cryptographic Hash's Key I am using a SHA-256 HMAC function on a single-word input: sha256hmac(privatekey,word) = output. The private key length ...
418 views

### Is it possible to determine the group order by knowing the “public” and “private” key exponents in an RSA group?

I have an RSA group with modulus $n = p \cdot q$, two safe primes $p=2p'+1$ and $q=2q'+1$ and the "public" and "private" key exponents $d$ and $e$. $\phi(n) = 4p'q'$ is the order of the RSA group. If ...
550 views

### Why are protocols often proven secure under the random oracle model instead of a hash assumption?

Is this true that whenever you design a protocol using a hash function, you must prove its security under the random oracle? I mean, is it possible to devise a protocol $P$ using a function $H$, and ...
2k views

### One-time pad and zero key

I'm doing some exercises before my exam, and I am stuck with task number 4 in this file: http://www.cs.umd.edu/~jkatz/crypto/f10/hw1.pdf Could you help me with this task? When using the one-time ...
320 views

### What is the name of this kind of protocol

There is a communication protocol that I believe creates the equivalent of a one time pad, with the downside that the secret message must be transferred multiple times. The protocol is so simple that ...
425 views

### Can I build a secure tweakable block cipher from a normal one by adding key and tweak?

Let (E,D) be a secure block cipher. Consider the following tweakable block cipher: ...
516 views

### Is symmetric encryption vulnerable to plain-text-attacks?

Imagine that Bob sends a message to Alice for symmetric encryption to send to Charlie. (Only Alice and Charlie know the key.) Alice sends the encrypted message back to Bob to send to Charlie. Can Bob ...
1k views

### Complexity of arithmetic in a finite field?

I am wondering what the complexities are of adding/subtracting and muliplying/dividing numbers in a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$. I need it to understand an article I am reading. Thank you
578 views

### Is it possible to figure out the public key from encrypted text?

Suppose Alice sends messages to Bob by encrypting the messages with Bob's public key. Eve knows that the data is encrypted using RSA, but does not know the public key. Can Eve figure out the public ...