Returning champion Steve Weis discusses the origins of NIST curve parameter seeds, controversy surrounding NSA's curve selection, Jerry Solinas code, debate on using P-256 curve, mysterious story of missing seeds, NSA's backdooring of cryptography, speculation about OPM breach, and a funny story about encoded seeds.
The controversy surrounding the NIST curves and suspicions of a backdoor lead to ongoing debates and investigations into their generation and origins.
Curve25519 offers advantages over the NIST curves, such as complete addition formulas and absence of point validation, but NIST curves like P-256 remain widely used and standardized in cryptographic applications.
The search for the origins of the NIST curves involves inquiries into the involvement of NSA employee Jerry Salinas and highlights the importance of transparency and credible sources in cryptographic standards.
Deep dives
The Controversy Surrounding the NIST Curves
The podcast episode delves into the controversy surrounding the NIST curves, particularly the suspicions of a backdoor. The discussion centers on the generation of these curves and the possible implications of their origins. The episode explores the history of the curves and the standards committees involved in their development. It also highlights the role of NSA employee Jerry Salinas in providing the seeds for the curves and the debates surrounding the randomness of the curves' parameters. The podcast acknowledges the presence of conspiracy theories and reflects on the ongoing quest to uncover the truth behind the generation of these widely used elliptic curves.
The Advantages of Curve25519
The episode discusses the advantages of Curve25519, an alternative to the NIST curves. It highlights the complete addition formulas and the absence of point validation as key features of Curve25519. The episode touches on the debate between the NIST curves and Curve25519 in terms of performance, completeness, and side-channel resistance. While Curve25519 may be the preferred curve for some, the podcast emphasizes the widespread usage and standardization of the NIST curves, particularly P-256, in various cryptographic applications.
The Quest for the Origins of the NIST Curves
The podcast episode describes a recent investigation into the origins of the NIST curves. The discussion revolves around the search for information about the generation of the curves and the involvement of Jerry Salinas, an NSA employee, in the process. The episode explores the possibility of lost seeds and the attempts to uncover the truth through inquiries and research. While definitive answers are elusive, the podcast highlights the importance of transparency in cryptographic standards and the value of credible sources shedding light on the subject.
Extended Random and Controversy in TLS
The episode delves into the extended random efforts in TLS and the associated controversy. It discusses the proposal to add an extension to TLS to increase the randomness and explores the reasons behind the proposal, ranging from cryptographic requirements to channel binding considerations. The episode acknowledges the concerns raised by the proposal, particularly in light of the Dually C backdoor revelations. It points out the potential implications of extended random and raises questions about the motivations and intentions behind such efforts.
The Various Perspectives and Debates
The episode concludes with a reflection on the different perspectives and debates surrounding the NIST curves. It acknowledges that while some people still question the possible backdoors, the majority of the cryptographic community does not view the NIST curves as compromised. The episode highlights the importance of continued research, transparency, and open dialogue to address concerns, enhance cryptographic standards, and ensure the security of cryptographic systems.
We explore how the NIST curve parameter seeds were generated, as best we can, with returning champion Steve Weis!
“At the point where we find an intelligible English string that generates the NIST P-curve seeds, nobody serious is going to take the seed provenance concerns seriously anymore.”
