Re: backdoors in AES/RSA

From: Bill Unruh (unruh_at_string.physics.ubc.ca)
Date: 06/23/04 

Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2004 23:56:03 +0000 (UTC)

Bryan Olson <fakeaddress@nowhere.org> writes:

]Mok-Kong Shen wrote:
] > Bill Unruh wrote:
] >
] >> It is neither known that RSA can be broken only by factoring, not that
] >> factoring is actually hard. Both statements are believed to be true,
] >> but no
] >> proof exists. Might one exist in the future? Of course. Might a contrary
] >> proof exist? Also of course.
] >
] > These issues are invariably almost 'never' mentioned in the
] > so-called 'proofs'. That's no good, if one doesn't constantly
] > keep oneself conscious of that (apparently surreptitiously
] > suppressed) fact.

]What is this guy talking about? A proof shows its theorem to be
]true. There's no chance to hide anything; if something's
]missing it's not a proof.

But a "proof" does not. All proofs have assumptions, and those assumptions
can be wrong.

]I've never heard a Cryptologist who actually does proofs of
]security misrepresent what the results show. When they write

See below. Of course Rivest, Shamir and Adelman may not be serious
cryptologists in your opinion.

]technical papers, they write for a technical audience. When the
]talk to a lay audience, they invariably explain results in lay
]terms, and hardly ever get to the results of proofs beyond the
]OTP.

]The problem is the know-nothings who act like they're studying
]cryptology, when really they're just guessing about results they
]do not understand (specific examples available upon request).

You mean people like Rivest, Shamir and Adelmann who made the statement
that their rsa encrypted text would not be broken in the age of the
universe ( but was broken 15 years later). You may say that that statement
was not a proof, but they certainly claimed it to based on solid
mathematical evidence. They may even have retracted it later, but that is
irrelevant.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: JSH: Ethics of a factoring solution
    ... When you post one of your solutions to the factoring problem there are ... Remember that I can find a solution to the RSA problem with a simple ... due warning and allowed time to change to a more secure method. ...
    (sci.crypt)
  • Re: JSH: Surrogate Factoring Fails Completely, What Next?
    ... RSA is only used BECAUSE ... >> bunch of propaganda that factoring is actually difficult. ... > factoring problem, and then went on to exploit that solution. ... > The world needs to deal with the math before it's forced upon it. ...
    (sci.crypt)
  • Re: Ive seen things you people wouldnt believe...
    ... Have you any idea why the RSA factoring challenge was terminated last ... I no longer work for RSA, ... no business could use it and claim ... Cash prizes were also proving quite problematic; ...
    (rec.arts.sf.fandom)
  • Re: JSH: A little direct talk
    ... the factoring congruences I found solve the factoring problem, ... Because, James, they are SLOW. ... any harm to RSA, unless it is FAST, and your method, so far, is NOT. ... are ACTIVELY trying to break RSA. ...
    (sci.crypt)