Attacks on public-key cryptosystems refer to various methods and techniques employed by adversaries to undermine the security of cryptographic protocols that rely on public-key encryption. Public-key cryptosystems, such as RSA, DSA, and ECC, are used for secure communication, data integrity, authentication, and digital signatures.
Chosen-plaintext attacks
A chosen-plaintext attack (CPA) is a type of cryptographic attack in which the attacker has the capability to choose arbitrary plaintexts to be encrypted and has access to their corresponding ciphertexts. This ability allows the attacker to gain information about the encryption algorithm and (potentially) the secret key used in the encryption process.
Cryptanalytic software
Cryptanalytic software refers to programs designed to analyze cryptographic systems and algorithms for the purpose of breaking encryption, validating security, or assessing the robustness of cryptographic protocols. The primary goal of cryptanalysis is to uncover weaknesses in cryptographic implementations or to recover plaintext from ciphertext without having access to the secret key.
Password cracking software
Password cracking software is a type of tool used to recover passwords from data that has been stored in a hashed or encrypted format. These tools are often employed by security professionals for legitimate purposes, such as testing the strength of passwords in their own systems or recovering lost passwords. However, they can also be misused by hackers to gain unauthorized access to systems and accounts.
Side-channel attacks
Side-channel attacks are techniques used to extract sensitive information from a system by analyzing the indirectly related data rather than exploiting direct vulnerabilities. These attacks often take advantage of the physical implementation of a system, rather than flaws in its algorithms or protocols. ### Types of Side-Channel Information: 1. **Timing Information**: Variations in the time taken to execute cryptographic algorithms based on the input data can reveal secrets.
The 3-subset meet-in-the-middle attack is a cryptographic technique used to solve certain problems, particularly in the context of breaking symmetric key algorithms or finding certain types of secret values in a more efficient manner than brute force methods. It is a variation of the general meet-in-the-middle attack, which exploits the structure of the problem to significantly reduce the computational effort required when searching through a key space or solving a problem with an exponential number of possibilities.
Acoustic cryptanalysis
Acoustic cryptanalysis is a technique used to extract cryptographic keys from devices by analyzing the sounds they make during operations. This method capitalizes on the acoustic emissions that result from electronic device activities, such as key presses on a keyboard or the operations of a computer's processor. The basic premise of acoustic cryptanalysis is that when a device performs cryptographic operations, it may generate subtle sounds that can reveal information about the keys being used.
An Adaptive Chosen-Ciphertext Attack (CCA) is a type of cryptographic attack model where the attacker has the ability to choose ciphertexts and obtain their corresponding plaintexts, potentially multiple times, in a manner that adapts based on the information learned from previous queries. This is a more powerful attack model than a standard chosen-ciphertext attack, as it allows the attacker to refine their strategy based on the feedback received from the decryption of the chosen ciphertexts.
Adversary (cryptography)
In cryptography, an "adversary" refers to an entity that attempts to compromise the security of a cryptographic system. This entity could be a malicious actor, such as an attacker or hacker, who aims to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, disrupt system operations, or exploit vulnerabilities in cryptographic protocols. Adversaries can vary in their capabilities, resources, and motivations.
Aircrack-ng
Aircrack-ng is a suite of tools used for network security assessments, specifically designed for analyzing, cracking, and securing Wi-Fi networks. It focuses on various aspects of Wi-Fi security, including monitoring, attacking, testing, and cracking WEP and WPA/WPA2 encryption protocols. The suite consists of several components, each serving a specific purpose: 1. **Airmon-ng**: Used to enable monitor mode on wireless network interfaces, allowing them to capture packets from the air.
Attack model
An attack model is a conceptual framework used to understand the various ways in which an adversary can compromise a system, application, or network. It defines the strategies, techniques, and methods that attackers might employ to achieve their objectives, such as unauthorized access to data, disruption of services, or exploitation of vulnerabilities. ### Key Components of an Attack Model 1. **Adversary Characteristics**: Understanding the motivations, capabilities, resources, and goals of potential attackers.
Biclique attack
A biclique attack is a type of cryptographic attack used primarily against ciphers and hash functions that exploit the structure of their underlying mathematical functions. This attack utilizes the concept of a biclique—a subset of a bipartite graph—where the nodes within the two sets can have connections (or edges) between them. The attack takes advantage of this structure to reduce the complexity of finding keys or collisions in modern cryptographic algorithms.
Birthday attack
A Birthday attack is a type of cryptographic attack that takes advantage of the mathematics behind the birthday problem in probability theory. It has implications for various cryptographic algorithms, particularly those that involve hash functions. ### How the Birthday Attack Works: 1. **Birthday Paradox**: The birthday problem refers to the counterintuitive probability that in a group of people, the chance that at least two people share a birthday is surprisingly high, even for a small group.
Bit-flipping attack
A bit-flipping attack is a type of attack in which an adversary manipulates the bits of a digital communication or a stored data object to alter its intended meaning or behavior. This kind of attack is particularly relevant in the context of cryptographic systems and network communications. The attacker may modify a specific bit or bits in a data packet or message to induce a desired outcome, often without needing to decrypt the information if the underlying protocol or system can be exploited.
Black-bag cryptanalysis
Black-bag cryptanalysis is a method of cryptographic attack that involves covertly obtaining cryptographic keys or other secure information from a target system or device. This technique does not rely on analyzing the mathematical properties of cryptographic algorithms or protocols but instead focuses on physical access to the hardware or systems involved. The term "black-bag" typically refers to the idea of an illicit entry or espionage operation, where an attacker gains unauthorized access to a physical location to extract information.
Black bag operation
A "black bag operation" refers to a covert operation in which individuals, typically spies or intelligence agents, break into a facility, home, or secure location to gather information, retrieve sensitive documents, or plant listening devices. This term often implies clandestine activities that are carried out without the permission or knowledge of the target.
Boomerang attack
A Boomerang attack is a cryptographic attack that targets the design of hash functions, particularly those that use the Merkle-Damgård construction. This type of attack is primarily aimed at finding collisions in hash functions—two different inputs that produce the same hash output. The Boomerang attack capitalizes on the properties of differential cryptanalysis. It works by exploiting the fact that certain differences in the input can produce predictable differences in the output.
Brute-force attack
A brute-force attack is a method used in cybersecurity to gain unauthorized access to a system, account, or encrypted data by systematically trying all possible combinations of passwords or encryption keys until the correct one is found. This technique relies on the computing power to generate and test numerous possibilities until the correct credential is discovered.
Chosen-ciphertext attack
A chosen-ciphertext attack (CCA) is a type of cryptographic attack where an attacker is able to choose a ciphertext and obtain its corresponding decrypted plaintext. This capability allows the attacker to gather information about the decryption process and potentially exploit vulnerabilities in the encryption scheme. In a CCA, the attacker has access to a decryption oracle, which is a mechanism that can decrypt arbitrary ciphertexts.
Ciphertext-only attack
A **ciphertext-only attack** is a type of cryptographic attack in which an attacker attempts to break a cipher and retrieve the original plaintext message by analyzing only the ciphertext—the encrypted message—without any access to the plaintext or the key used for encryption. In other words, the attacker only has the output of the encryption process and tries to deduce information about the input.