# All Questions

1answer
355 views

### Mixing Entropy Sources by XOR?

Assume that I have two sources of entropy (say, a hardware RNG and a CSPRNG) and that the two sources are independent (do not know anything about the internal state of the other RNG). Can I mix them ...
1answer
83 views

### How can a digital signature algorithm incorporate a random data if it is to be authenticated on a separate system

I am trying to understand how RSA digital signatures can incorporate any data from a PRNG into the final signature. Does this mean that separate implementations might fail to verify each others ...
1answer
68 views

### Fiat-Shamir security problem question

I am trying to understand the Fiat-Shamir identification protocol, but have a problem with understanding how this protocol is supposed to be save, even if you repeat it several times. I am using ...
2answers
485 views

### Generate a unique 64 bit numeric database key from a string without collisions at $2^{32}$ birthday threshold?

What is the best way to generate a unique 64 bit numeric database key from a string? For example: if the string is a URL, you could generate a 64 bit key using SipHash or by truncating a SHA256 hash ...
2answers
124 views

### Is ”generating transcripts that are indistinguishable from actual messages in a signature scheme” not universal forgery?

In the Pointcheval paper “Security arguments for digital signatures and blind signatures”, they have proved the security of Schnorr signature for existential forgery under adaptively chosen-message ...
0answers
225 views

### Elliptic Curve based blind signature implementation

I want to use Elliptic Curve based blind signature scheme for my research. There is no proper implementation of ECC-based blind signatures. Can someone describe to me which things I need to follow ...
1answer
137 views

### How can one detect if a hash function doesn't have a full image?

Suppose we have a hash function $H: \{0,1\}^* \mapsto \{0,1\}^n$, that doesn't get all the $n$ length bitstrings as a value for any input, but is otherwise secure. Can that fact be detected? For ...
1answer
76 views

### Familiar key signing over video call

Say that a friend of mine and I have both generated new PGP keys, and we want to use a video call to verify each other's new keys because we live on opposite sides of the planet. While we could both ...
1answer
164 views

### AES-128-CTR message integrity: Construction of HMAC

(Note: This post is not about "rolling my own", but rather trying to deepen my understanding of the underlying structures.) I'm having difficulties finding clear answers to some questions about the ...
2answers
95 views

### How do I construct variable length input (VIL) in a block cipher mode?

I've just been skimming NIST's "Five Confidentiality Modes". I understand those block cipher modes are used to securely encrypt input longer that the block cipher length. However, the common block ...
1answer
129 views

### Are those RSA keys flawed?

I used rsa-json.native to generate RSA keys for a node.js application that will use secure-peer later to connect two clients with each other. Now I have 2 questions: In secure-peer/index.js I've ...
1answer
201 views

### Significance of rotation constants in SHA-512?

In a single round of SHA-512, in the operations $\Sigma_0(A)$, $\Sigma_1(E)$ why are the constants $28$, $34$, and $39$ used for the number of rotations? What significance do these numbers have? What ...
1answer
159 views

### ECDSA: How to retrieve a non-random k

I have a question regarding the random $k$ number of ECDSA encryption. As far as I know, it is possible to retrieve $k$ (and thus the private key) from two signed messages if both used the same $k$. ...
1answer
136 views

### ECDSA: Retrieving non-random k [duplicate]

I have a question regarding the random $k$ number of ECDSA encryption. As far as I know, it is possible to retrieve $k$ (and thus the private key) from two signed messages if both used the same $k$. ...
1answer
152 views

### What does it mean that a protocol realizes “strong mutual authentication”?

What does it mean that a protocol realizes "strong mutual authentication"? And What does it mean that a protocol realizes "weak mutual authentication"? Can you define them formally ? I have found a ...
1answer
136 views

### Why are there only positive value points on an elliptic curve?

I read about elliptic curve cryptography $E$ over $Z_p$ where $p$ is prime number and $G$ is a base point on the curve. I noticed the points resulting from multiplication e.g. $2G$,$3G$,.....,$(N-1)G$ ...
2answers
194 views

### Obfuscate an “I'll reveal if you do” function

Is there any cryptographic obfuscation scheme that will let me obfuscate a program that reveals my secret, if you reveal yours? Formalization. Let $C(\cdot),V(\cdot)$ be a secure commitment scheme. ...
2answers
92 views

### Sender and receiver having different moduli conflicts with encryption and signing in RSA

I should implement a security protocol as a part of which I need to: Encrypt the message with receiver public key. Sign it with my private key. Send it to receiver. Suppose that the system uses a ...
1answer
66 views

### Must the ciphertext be longer than the key for symmetric encryption?

I am planning to encrypt the different fields of a database independently, using a symmetric encryption scheme (probably 3DES). Since some of the fields are as small as an integer, may that be ...
1answer
239 views

### What differences between Menezes–Vanstone ECC and ElGamal ECC?

After researching ECC encryption, I found that we can use ElGamal cryptosystem with elliptic curve and can we use Menezes-Vanstone cryptosystem with elliptic curve. What is the essential difference ...
2answers
220 views

### Attack on a key-exchange,symmetric-key cryptography protocol

This is an exam question in Oxford 's Computer Security course: Here is the start of a protocol, based on a long-term secret key $k_{AB}$ previously shared between Alice and Bob, designed to offer ...
1answer
130 views

### Multiplication-homomorphic schemes

I'm looking into multiplication-homomorphic schemes now and basically I see that there are 3 options: RSA, Boneh-Goh-Nissim and ElGamal. RSA was proved to be insecure unless message is randomly ...
0answers
138 views

### RSA encryption and signature padding flaw

This is Oxford's computer security exam question: Suppose that Bob has published an RSA encryption key $ke$ (retaining in secret the corresponding decryption key $kd$), and Alice has published a ...
1answer
130 views

### What are differences between $E(F_p)$ and $E(Z_p)$?

When I read some books about elliptic curve cryptography noticed that. sometimes symbolized elliptic curve over $F_p$ is $E(F_p)$ and sometimes symbolized elliptic curve over $Z_p$ is $E(Z_p)$. I ...
0answers
239 views

### Commutative Encryption with RSA scheme?

I wanted to know how I could manage to do what I'm going to tell you next, with the RSA encryption/decryption scheme. So Alice and Bob each have a public key $(n, e)$ and a private key $(p, q, d)$; ...
1answer
128 views

### Pick faster private exponent

I recently tried to send 1536-bit modulus CSR to COMODO. They refused to sign the certificate. I later found out that it's because NIST mandated 2048-bit modulus on the SSL certificate. I think it's ...
1answer
246 views

### How (in)secure is a signature based on DSA with DSS1 (SHA1) in reality?

As I found out the OpenSSL implementation provided by PHP (openssl_sign) only allows DSS1 as the hashing algorithm for DSA signatures (see also my related question). I’d prefer DSA over RSA in my ...
2answers
120 views

### Three different numbers with x³=x mod p

p is a prime greater than 2 and $a \in \mathbb{Z}_p$. Why are there exactly three solutions for a³ = a mod p? Obviously 0 and 1 are both in $\mathbb{Z}$ and valid solutions, but that still means, ...
1answer
119 views

### Modulo properties of two prime numbers

I am supposed to prove that x = y mod (p*q) <=> x = y mod p and x = y mod q with p and q are prime numbers. It somewhat sounds reasonable to me, but unfortunately I don't have any clue how to prove ...
1answer
47 views

### server aid secure equality test

The scenario is like this: $P_1$ has $m_1$, $P_2$ has $m_2$, they want to compare whether $m_1=m_2$ via the server $S$. After the protocol, only $S$ knows the result, and there is no interaction ...
3answers
311 views

### Can I create a fixed length output from a fixed length input?

I use AES256 for various purposes in my app. However, the purpose I am now trying to achieve is the following: Input is for example AU00000001 and I would like a ...
3answers
151 views

### Is there an oblivious decryption scheme?

Alice has $K$; Bob has $E(K, m)$; Is there such a scheme that enables Alice decrypts $E(K, m)$ without knowing $m$, and Bob gets $m$ ?
1answer
144 views

### Universal Circuits in Indistinguishability Obfuscation Candidate Construction

I am currently working on an implementation of the candidate construction for an indistinguishability obfuscator that was recently proposed by Garg et al. The relevant paper can be found here. ...
2answers
159 views

### Padding to increase entropy and size of (otherwise) small JSON objects

Maybe this better fits, the security stackexchange... I'm building a web API. We want to enable some relatively simple encryption, instead of going full-blown OAuth2 (which frankly, IMO, sucks). So I ...
0answers
112 views

### Proxy re-encryption mod operations

I managed to implement the proxy re-encryption scheme from http://eprint.iacr.org/2009/189.pdf in python 2.7, however I am having performance issues. As it is, I can run the algorithm for key sizes up ...
2answers
120 views

### Comparing two values without revealing them

Suppose Alice wants to prove to Bob that t1 is less than t2. t1 and ...
1answer
108 views

### Are formal methods used for cryptographic protocol design?

I decided to learn more about the application of formal methods to cryptographic protocols and found this interesting talk by Cathy Meadows at YouTube. After doing research about how people are using ...
0answers
47 views

### P = NP security implications [duplicate]

If someone finds an efficient way (ridiculous or not) to turn NP into P (such as creating multiple universes, saving the one with the correct answer), would we have any good algorithms for encryption, ...
1answer
138 views

### Is CTS necessary on a AES-CBC DRBG?

As I understand it, CTS pads the last block and swaps it with the second last to compensate for a partial block of data. I have written a DRBG (Deterministic Random Bit Generator) using AES-CBC that ...
1answer
145 views

### Twisted curves in protocol

I've come to understand that twisted curves, as for instance defined in the Brainpool specifications, are $F(p)$-isomorphic to their regular $F(p)$ equivalents. So brainpoolP256r1 is isomorphic to ...
2answers
156 views

### Hamiltonicity proof of knowledge

I'm learning the POK notion and definitions and as a self exercise I wante to prove the statement that the Hamiltonicity protocol is a POK system with knowledge error $1/2$. So the question will be ...
1answer
64 views

### Theory for pre-paid debit card: card-to-card transfer [closed]

In Sweden in the late 90's they deployed a electronic prepaid cash system system, and if I remember correctly you could transfer money between cards without online access. Wikipedia states that the ...
1answer
86 views

### Number of different substitution alphabet ciphers possible with given conditions?

If you consider a 26 letter alphabet, and a cipher where 24 of the letters are sent to themselves, and only 2 letters switch, how many different substitution alphabet ciphers are there, and what ...
1answer
97 views

### How can I process data within a cloud securely?

I'm new to programming and I'm getting ready to design a proof of concept for an app that I'm thinking of building. Problem is I'm a complete noob to cryptography and need a little nudge to point me ...
3answers
377 views

### Security of a security protocol for key exchange, using symmetric-key cryptography

This is an exam question: $A \to B$: Alice, $nonce_A$ $B \to A$: $nonce_B$, $E_{k_{AB}}(nonce_A \| k_1)$ $A \to B$: $E_{k_{AB}}(nonce_B \| k_2)$ Alice and Bob both compute $k_s$ = $k_1$ xor $k_2$ ...
1answer
378 views

### Precomputation attacks on RSA

Are precomputation attacks - such as outlined in RFC 3610 chapter 5 - possible on RSA PKCS#1 v1.5 signature generation? If yes, are such attacks taken into account when calculating the cryptographic ...
1answer
93 views

### Use additional keys to thwart key compromise?

Is it good or bad practice to design crypto protocols for key compromise by using additional keys? Argument for bad practice would be: When you have a key you should trust it and not throw more keys ...
1answer
166 views

### Measure ECC key size

I have implemented a ECC key generation scheme successfully. Now I need to find ECC key sizes of each generating key pairs. I assumed that ECC key size is the size of the ECC private Key. So I would ...
1answer
444 views

### Montgomery Ladder vs Double-and-Add

I would like to know what (if any) are the advantages of using Montgomery Power ladder over the Double-and-Add-Always algorithm. I think that firstly, Monty would be slightly faster than DoubleAndAdd. ...
1answer
336 views

### Is it a requirement to understand mathematics when implementing (or breaking) cryptography?

Related: What is the lowest level of mathematics required in order to understand how encryption algorithms work? and Recommended skills for a job in cryptology In the context of putting crypto into ...

15 30 50 per page