Re: Crack in Computer Security Code Raises Red Flag

From: Pubkeybreaker (Robert_silverman_at_raytheon.com)
Date: 03/16/05 

Date: 16 Mar 2005 06:09:21 -0800

The "attack" , while at the current edge of feasible computing really
is not
meaningful, even when it is carried out. Even if improved to 2^50 or
so it
would not be meaningful.

Why?

Because the attack does not construct messages that are either
meaningful,
or are related in any way. i.e. if I want to sign a letter, one
would presuppose that
the letter would consist of English text. A random string of bits will
not be English text.
Of course, if you are signing random data, then the attack is
meaningful.

Suppose I wanted to send a letter to my stockbroker saying "Buy".
The stock takes a nose dive and I want to repudiate my letter. How do
I then
find two messages M1 and M2 such that both are meaningful text, M1
contains
"Buy" and M2 contains "Sell"? The current attack does not allow
this.

It is not a pre-image attack. And even if it were a pre-image attack,
I can't
imagine that I could find M2 such that Hash(M2) = Hash("Buy") AND

M2 contains a meaningful message saying "Sell". M2 is going to be a
random
(or nearly so) string of bits.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT - MY Goodness Hals Islamic boogey man is real - and Scary too
    ... better than to see Time Magazines credibility damaged beyond repair ... positive and sell the negative. ... I don't know of anyone that claims terrorism doesn't exist. ... He thought he could get away with calling OFF an attack? ...
    (rec.martial-arts)
  • Re: Conservatives (?) worst nightmare.
    ... I've got an automatic "sell" order in place. ... off another big attack it triggers automatically, and my broker tells me I'm ... Bullshit. ... the broker needs to put together in what direction. ...
    (rec.motorcycles)
  • Re: Crack in Computer Security Code Raises Red Flag
    ... The "attack", while at the current edge of feasible computing really ... It is not a pre-image attack. ... M2 contains a meaningful message saying "Sell". ...
    (alt.computer.security)
  • Re: does soundcard limit # of midi channels?
    ... Last year, due to an attack of the mutant planning officers, I had to ... sell up my dairy herd. ... In the milking parlour was the prototype of a ...
    (comp.music.midi)
  • How to set up table
    ... I have a problem I am not sure how to attack. ... What I need to be able to do is record how many books we buy (for example we ... As we sell them or distribute them I need it to subtract ... but that is too in depth for our purposes. ...
    (microsoft.public.access.tablesdbdesign)