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I used to think that adding random padding to an rsa plaintext was to prevent attack when you can ask/have access to different ciphered output, and decipher it without access to the private key (under certain conditions).

I've came across a signature verification scheme that seems to use random padding (at start and end of the hash) to make the signature, but does not enforce any padding scheme.

From what I understand, using proper padding (pkcs#xxx), and ensuring the padding scheme is respected is a must-do when it comes to signing messages.

But I was wondering at which point using this one is flawed ?

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  • $\begingroup$ "came across a signature verification scheme", well, any answer will have to depend on that specific scheme. Then, if it's something archetypal, we can expand a little bit on that. $\endgroup$
    – DannyNiu
    Commented Sep 26, 2023 at 8:38
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Cryptography.se. Do you mean RSA-OAEP or RSA-FDH or something else? Is there a specific reason that you are not providing where did you see it? $\endgroup$
    – kelalaka
    Commented Sep 26, 2023 at 8:38
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    $\begingroup$ The verification scheme is just checking that bytes 43 to 106 equals the hash of the signed message the other 448 bytes are random / not checked. So it's not RSA-FDH, neither textbook rsa per-se. No specific reason, I just did not thought it was relevant. It's in a bootloader secureboot verification process. $\endgroup$
    – Xilokar
    Commented Sep 26, 2023 at 9:01
  • $\begingroup$ crypto.meta.stackexchange.com/q/100/23623 $\endgroup$
    – kelalaka
    Commented Sep 26, 2023 at 9:28
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    $\begingroup$ @Xilokar There seems to be an answer which could be accepted, and I don't see any answer popping up that would be even more clear (other than to break the scheme entirely), maybe a good idea to accept the existing answer? $\endgroup$
    – Maarten Bodewes
    Commented Feb 24 at 19:17

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I read the question as: there is an RSA-based signature verification scheme that takes alleged signature $s$, computes alleged message representative $r=s^e\bmod n$ where $(n,e)$ is the public key, formats $r$ as 448+106+1-43 = 512 bytes (consistent with $n$ of 4096-bit), compares bytes 43 to 106 (that is 64 bytes or 512 bits) of $r$ to the (e.g. SHA-512) hash $h$ of the alleged message, and accepts the message on match.

Other bytes in the message representative $r$ are supposed to be filled in some unspecified way by the signer, e.g. randomly or pseudo-randomly, but they are not checked by the verifier.

An attack is possible at least for low $e$, e.g. $e\in\{3,5,7\}$ or slightly more.

Assuming big-endian conversion of integers to bytes, and bytes in $r$ are numbered from the left starting at index 0 for the high-order byte, there are 512-1-106 = 405 bytes or $b=3240$ bits on the right of the verified portion, thus any $r$ of the form $h\cdot2^b+x$ with $0\le x<2^b$ is acceptable. If we can make an $s$ with $s^e$ such an $r$, it is accepted.

For $e\le7$, computing the hash $h$ of an arbitrary message then $s=\left\lceil\sqrt[e]{h⋅2^b}\,\right\rceil$ will do.


That signature scheme is not an academically recognized one. It's definitely not recommendable. And as the saying attributed to the NSA by Bruce Schneier goes: “Attacks only get better; they never get worse”. Thus as often, the correct solution is not to increase $e$. It's to use proper RSA signature padding, e.g. RSASSA-PSS.

If someone used this “in a bootloader secureboot verification process”, then they are incompetent (including careless), or intend the system to be vulnerable. In the later case and if they used $e=F_4=65537$, then I wish I knew what they had in mind.

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  • $\begingroup$ I would not have answered this question if I thought it was for an actually deployed system. Answering here was easier than text messages thru a colleague. $\endgroup$
    – fgrieu
    Commented Sep 27, 2023 at 13:47
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    $\begingroup$ Thanks for your answer. I wasn't aware of the policy on cryptostackexchange regarding deployed system, and apologize... I was adviced to ask here when I prompted my findings on a social network. n is 4096-bit and e is 65537, so I guess security is achieved by increasing e only $\endgroup$
    – Xilokar
    Commented Sep 27, 2023 at 15:38
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    $\begingroup$ @Xilokar: I fixed some details (I had previously misread "other 448 bytes"). I don't know how to attack with e=65537, but would not bet that it is secure facing better attack à la Coppersmith. My statement is that this signature scheme is unacademical, and should not be trusted. $\endgroup$
    – fgrieu
    Commented Sep 27, 2023 at 16:10

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