Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-computer-science-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/computer-security/2/b/v/solution

Bob especially needs unpredictability, because is intended to be secret until Tim processes the request. A predictable counter destroys even that limited assurance.
If the adversary knows Bob's next value , it initiates a run with Alice's name and intercepts Bob's request. Without consulting Tim, it chooses a key , constructs , and sends as message 3, with any suitably shaped opaque ticket for Alice. Bob cannot inspect that ticket. He accepts , sends message 4, and accepts the adversary's . Alice and Tim need not participate.
This preplay attack requires a correct prediction of Bob's outstanding value, knowledge of his public key, and the ability to intercept or race the genuine response. Observing an earlier unencrypted response may expose a counter value from which to predict the next. With an independent uniformly random hidden -bit value, blind prediction succeeds with probability per attempt.
In particular, random cryptographic nonces do not make the printed protocol sound. After the genuine message 3 reveals , the adversary can use exactly the substitution in solution. Predictability allows an earlier attack without Tim; lack of response binding allows an attack even with perfect unpredictability.

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