# All Questions

107 views

### Determine AES key given encrypted and unencrypted files

Given an encrypted file, the original unencrypted (cleartext) file, and knowledge of which AES encryption algorithm was used, is it possible to determine the key that was used to encrypt the data in a ...
111 views

### Does exponentiation by squaring work on Montgomery curves?

Consider the point multiplication $Q=[d]P$, where $P$ a point on elliptic curve multiplied with an integer $d$ to get another point $Q$ on the same curve. This operation can be computed by a ...
133 views

### Can there be a need for 1024-bit (symmetric) encryption?

I think we are all aware of the CAESAR-competition. Now the aim of this competition is to select a (portfolio of) winner(s) which provide authenticated encryption. I'll now assume that the results ...
137 views

### How often does RSA-OAEP have a leading zero?

We are working with a third party vendor who is very tight lipped about their security protocols, and one of our customers who used this vendor's products is claiming that approximately one in every ...
116 views

### Simulation aborted because the adversary doesn't use the random oracle

I'm trying to construct a proof for an encryption scheme in the Random Oracle model. This encryption scheme is like a PKE scheme but with an additional function that kind of "alters" ciphertexts ...
176 views

### AES and Homomorphic Encryption

Is it possible to do the following? Input would be to generate a new AES key, encrypt the private data with that key, encrypt the AES key with the FHE key, and send the FHE-encrypted AES key along ...
463 views

### ECC vs RSA: how to compare key sizes?

I know and I have understood the details of RSA, elliptic curve cryptography, (EC)DH and (EC)DSA. I keep reading everywhere that (if we don't consider non-deterministic computers) "ECC can achieve ...
161 views

### What is the “compression function” in Merkle-Damgård?

Is the "compression function" in Merkle-Damgård just a collision-resistant, one-way hash function but one that operates only on fixed size inputs? If so, is MD just a way to extend it to work on ...
115 views

### Secure ElGamal with OAEP

Is it possible to make ElGamal IND-CCA2 using OAEP or OAEP+? (OAEP+ from: "OAEP Reconsiderd" by Shoup) The reason I ask is that I recently answered this question and it came to my mind that OAEP or ...
125 views

### Coding of unsigned int to prevent guessing next ID

Suppose we are assigning records an unsigned integer ID from a N-bit space (say 32-bit) in a sequential manner. Is there a way we can code this ID before showing it to the public such that someone ...
1k views

### Is CAST5 still a secure algorithm to use?

I just installed GnuPG for Windows. The documentation says the default symmetric cipher is CAST5. In PGP also, default cipher was CAST5. Is CAST5 secure to use? Any known attacks reported on this ...
283 views

### Do all stream ciphers (and AES-128-CTR in particular) produce equal output size as the input size?

I'm particulary interested on knowing if the output of the AES-128-CTR ciphertext is always going to have the same size as the input plaintext, or it could be padded somehow. It seems so from my tests ...
145 views

### Why can't you just clone encrypted data and use it?

Let's take a contactless card for example (one for public transport lets say (i.e. MiCard)), the data is encrypted on the card and encrypted on the reader as far as I know. So how come somebody who ...
81 views

### Is changing $H(R\mathbin{\Vert}A\mathbin{\Vert}M)$ to $H(R\mathbin{\Vert}A\mathbin{\Vert}H(M))$ in EdDSA secure?

EdDSA calculates $s=(r+H(R\mathbin{\Vert}A\mathbin{\Vert}M)\cdot a)\bmod\ell$ and $r=H(h\mathbin{\Vert}M)$, with $H$ being the hash function (SHA2/512); $B$ being the generator; $A$ being the public ...
320 views

### Encryption for a short packet size

I have an 8051 microcontroller with a radio that can send packets with up to 32 bytes and I want to have the messages encrypted. It is a sensor network so I really only want to send one packet per ...
256 views

### Decrypt all RSA ciphertexts if you can break 1% of them

I was given a cryptography question during an interview the other day. Imagine you are given an efficient algorithm which for a given RSA public key (n,e) is able to decrypt 1% of the messages ...
93 views

### Is xgcd faster than Fermat for calculating $d$ in RSA?

I want to calculate $d$ from $e$ when generating RSA keys. What is faster? Calculating $\operatorname{xgcd}(e,p)$ and $\operatorname{xgcd}(e,q)$ and CRT. Or calculating $e^{p-2}\bmod p$ and ...
188 views

### Verifying DER encoded DSA/ECDSA signature with extra content?

Having a DSA/ECDSA signature which is supposed to be DER encoded as an ASN.1 sequence of $r$ and $s$ (as described in the RFC), and being given some bytes which are ...
288 views

### Collision in Merkle–Damgård without a collision in compression function

Is it possible to find a collision in Merkle–Damgård just by omitting the extra one bit that is appended to each input without having a collision in compression function?
112 views

### How many of primitive point on the elliptic curve?

In elliptic curves for cryptography, I know $nG=O$, where $G$ is a base point represented by $G=(x_g,y_g)\ on\ E(F_P)$, where $n$ is Order of point $G$. For example, $P(0,6)$ is a primitive point on ...
490 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 ...
1k views

### What are SNARKs?

What does it mean and what is it used for, I have been hearing this term a lot lately. From the context I've heard it talked about it seems to be connected with zero knowledge?
125 views

### What does “learnable with oracle queries” mean?

I came across the following quotes in reading papers on obfuscation (1, ibid, and 2): The next result follows from the fact that point functions are not exactly learnable (since a uniformly chosen ...
456 views

### Where did the SHAKEs come from in SHA3?

Where did SHAKE128 and SHAKE256 originate from? I am trying to find them in the original Keccak documentation but can't find them. Is it some special mode of Keccak referenced in the documentation? ...
337 views

### Which block cipher mode(s) is most appropriate in these applications?

I have a few questions I'm stuck on for a cryptography course I'm doing, any help would be much appreciated. The first application is for decryption on a multicore processor. I assume any of ECB, ...
135 views

### Is this a plausible PBKDF?

Background: Hello, I'm working on a hobby project in which I might want to implement a key derivation function within a somewhat resource limited embedded system. For standard crypto functions, I ...
1k views

### Reversing DJB2 Hashes

I have some spare time, and a few hundred DJB2-hashed values sitting around. I thought I'd try to do something "useful" and invert DJB2, such that I could calculate the plaintext of the hashes (which ...
120 views

### Ballot box with multiple parties. All can read it, or none can read it

I am trying to create a decentralized moderation system for the game Diplomacy, a game for seven players. In each round of a face-to-face game, each player writes their moves on paper then puts it in ...
133 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 ...
217 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 $k$. ...
970 views

### Creating a license system based on asymmetric encryption (RSA or ECDSA)

I’ve spent a couple of days researching the topic of creating a license system for my desktop software. While I fully understand that there’s no perfect copy protection, this approach seems to have ...
207 views

### KDF followed by a Hash?

It is my understanding that a KDF adds entropy, whereas a hash loses information. I've read that KDF should be used to store passwords. I don't understand why we don't use a KDF and then a hash, so ...
208 views

### When is it safe to not use authenticated encryption?

I have read the post Why should I use Authenticated Encryption instead of just encryption? When is it safe to not use authenticated encryption? I assumed hard drive volume encryption or per file ...
183 views

### Performance for Subbytes in AES

I´m implementing the AES-encrypt algorithm for the SSE2 instruction set. For the Subbyte function i use movzx, having loaded ...
360 views

### Should HMAC or NMAC or plain Keccak be used for a secure MAC?

After some digging around in the HMAC spec I found this (paraphrased): Step 1: If the length of Key equals the block size of the hash function (512 bits/64 Bytes for SHA-256), set the key equal ...
170 views

### Encrypting a short phrase into two keys. both with length of 32letters

It doesn't need to be crazy secure. I wanted to figure out if there's a popular practice when encrypting a short phrase (less than 32 letter long) into two keys (two strings 32 length). Doesn't need ...
207 views

### Using Stream Cipher as CSPRNG

Are there any guidelines or justification for converting a stream cipher algorithm for use as a CSPRNG? For instance, lets say I wanted to convert one of the eStream portfolio Profile 1 (software) ...
206 views

### derangements and permutations in cryptography

Given a partial key for a mono-alphabetic substitution cipher (missing 11 letters), calculate the number $N$ of possible keys, given that no plaintext letter can be mapped to itself. ...
292 views

### RFC 3526 - What does pi mean?

In RFC 3526 there are a series of primes listed as standard parameters used for Diffie-Helman. The primes are list in two formats. One is the long format, where the number is given in hex. For ...
520 views

### Signature based on public key cryptography and forgery

In the definition of existential unforgeability, there is no detail about the following questions. In general, can we suppose that a signer is also a possible adversary ? When generating a signature, ...
1k views

### Perfect Secrecy -> One Time Semantic Security -> Secure PRG

I think I have some sense of what Perfect Security means, and even Semantic Security, but I am struggling with randomness, so I'm going to ask a question about CSPRG's (Cryptographically Secure PRG's) ...
117 views

### Does re-iterate AES128 with different keys gives any benefict?

I'm not cryptography expert (well, I'm here after all!) but I have this doubt… Suppose I have 2 different keys: secretkey1 secretkey2 And a plain text: myReallySecretPlainText If I use AES128 ...
341 views

### Predicting Java's PRNG using partial output

I have a program (a game) that uses Java's nextInt function with parameter 0x10000 to get a random 16-bit number. Java's ...
178 views

### ElGamal in private set intersection: how to handle negative numbers?

I am trying to implement the Efficient Robust Private Set Intersection using Additive ElGamal. For this, from the client side, my inputs are $C = \{1, 2\}$. So, the polynomial is $(x-1)(x-2)$ which ...
227 views

### Which is better ECDHE with TLS 1.0

I have a webserver which only supports TLS 1.0 and I am not sure about something: Which is the better cipher in this group when aiming for the best security? ...
305 views

### Why have Nonce and why encrypt everything in step 2 for Needham-Schroeder?

Here is the protocol outline I am looking at (source: Foundations of Computer Security, Lecture 60: The Needham-Schroeder Protocol)  \begin{array}{ccl} 1.& A \to S \colon& A,B,N_a \\ ...
368 views

### How is the AEScrypt password related to the underlying AES key

AES uses a key that is at most 256 bit. I assume AESCrypt uses AES. When a file is encrypted with AEScrypt, there is no limit to the length of the password. What is the relation between the ...
284 views

### Can $r$ and $s$ from an ECDSA signature be negative numbers?

I have an ECDSA implementation in Mathematica over secp256k1 and $r$ and $s$ are always positive numbers. But if you encode them as bytes, the most significant byte can be over ...