# What is the maximum cofactor of elliptic curve used for ECDSA?

I know that the cofactor of curve 25519 is 8. Is it the maximum factor in the existing curve used for ECDSA?

• What is the reason behind this question? – kelalaka Mar 4 at 16:06
• just curiosity~ – user77340 Mar 5 at 2:35
• – dave_thompson_085 Mar 5 at 3:21

The X9.62 ECDSA standard does not specify a bound on permissible cofactors (though it only records how to validate cofactors up to about $$\sqrt p/4$$). The Certicom SEC1 document only allows cofactors up to $$2^{t/8}$$ where $$t$$ is the bit size of the field. In theory then, quite large cofactors might be in use somewhere. In practice people almost always preferred to use Weierstrass curves with cofactor 1 a) for efficiency and b) to avoid possible weaknesses with unverified parameters. I believe that all of the NIST standard curves have cofactor 1 for example. By contrast Curve 25519 allows a cofactor so that it can have a compatible Edwards curve representation (Edwards curves are more efficient and have better anti-sidechannel properties; their order over prime fields is always divisible by 4 however). Similarly Curve 448 has a cofactor of 4 and an Edwards form.
• X9/NIST/SECG $F_p$ curves (secp#r aka P-# random and secp#k Koblitz) have cofactor 1; the $F_{2^m}$ curves (sect#r aka B-# random and sect#p aka K-# Koblitz) which now are rarely used have 2 or 4. See SEC2 and FIPS186-2 or higher. Brainpool (only $F_p$) are also 1. – dave_thompson_085 Mar 5 at 3:24