Month: September 2013

Hi!  It is rare for a cryptography algorithm to make the pages of the popular press, but Dual_EC_DRBG has done just that!  The best article we`ve seen to date is Kim Zetter`s lucid article in Wired: https://www.wired.com/2013/09/nsa-backdoor/.

For the record, we have never implemented the Dual_EC_DRBG algorithm, nor gone so far as to set it as a default.  See:  http://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2013/09/rsa-warns-developers-against-its-own.html

We`re moths to the flame when it comes to alternative and new crypto, as witnessed by our implementations of NTRU, SHA-3, HC-128, and Rabbit.  We like trying new things and then benchmarking them in our test rigs, but on Dual_EC_DRBG, we passed.

All that said, we deliver our products in open source, and you and everyone else are welcome to inspect them.  Our position on our cryptography implementation follows:

1.  We can trace all of our code to a very limited set of developers in our company.  We are open source, but unlike some projects, we tightly control and inspect the code that goes into our mainline.

2.  Our code is vetted out not only by wolfSSL staff, but by a diverse and wide array of people in open source, cryptography, and commercial security companies.  

The above is not true for the OpenSSL project.  As Matthew Green says, OpenSSL is “a patchwork nightmare originally developed by a programmer who thought it would be a fun way to learn Bignum division.* Part of it is because crypto is unbelievably complicated. Either way, there are very few people who really understand the whole codebase.”  See:  http://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2013/09/on-nsa.html.  Our thoughts on comparing CyaSSL to OpenSSL are here:  https://www.wolfssl.com/how-does-wolfssl-compare-to-openssl/, and here:  https://www.wolfssl.com/openssl-in-devices-gets-cracked-when-trying-to-enhance-randomness-2/

Finally, a comment from Bruce Schneier on staying Secure:  

“Closed-source software is easier for the NSA to backdoor than open-source software. “

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-how-to-remain-secure-surveillance

We are open source, and we believe in open source.  Open source is the best way to develop, deliver, and support cryptography.  Ipso Facto.  Over and out from team wolfSSL.

Do you have a processor and compiler which support Intel’s AES-NI? If so, you can take advantage of the increase in performance provided by AES-NI in CyaSSL and wolfCrypt.

wolfSSL has worked with Intel to publish a white paper describing how Intel’s AES-NI can be used with the CyaSSL embedded SSL library. This paper provides a brief overview of the Intel AES-NI instructions and demonstrates the performance gains realized when Intel AES-NI is used in place of a more traditional software-only based AES implementation. The CyaSSL embedded SSL library is used as a test bed in the white paper to perform the comparison as it can be built with either traditional software-based AES or hardware-based AES-NI support at compile time. As a secondary goal to demonstrating Intel AES-NI performance, this paper explains how to determine if a pre-built SSL library (static or shared) offers built-in support for the Intel Advanced Encryption Standard New Instructions.

The white paper can be downloaded directly from the wolfSSL website at the following location. If you have any questions about using CyaSSL on Intel hardware, please contact us at facts@wolfssl.com.

CyaSSL AES-NI White Paper: wolfSSL White Papers (http://yassl.com/yaSSL/cyassl-embedded-ssl-white-papers.html)

Did you know that the CyaSSL lightweight SSL library has support for hardware-based cryptography and random number generation offered by the STM32 processor? Supported cryptographic algorithms include AES (CBC, CTR), DES (ECB, CBC), 3DES, MD5, and SHA1. For details regarding the STM32 crypto and hash processors, please see the STM32F2xx Standard Peripheral Library document (linked below).

Devices using the STM32 with CyaSSL can see substantial speed improvements when using hardware crypto versus using CyaSSL’s software crypto implementation. The following benchmarks were gathered from the CTaoCrypt benchmark application (ctaocrypt/benchmark/benchmark.c) running on the STM3221G-EVAL board (STM32F2) using the STM32F2 Standard Peripheral Library and FreeRTOS.

CyaSSL Software Crypto, Normal Big Integer Math Library

AES 1024 kB took 0.822 seconds,   1.22 MB/s
ARC4 1024 KB took 0.219 seconds,   4.57 MB/s
DES       1024 KB took 1.513 seconds,   0.66 MB/s
3DES     1024 KB took 3.986 seconds,   0.25 MB/s

MD5         1024 KB took 0.119 seconds,   8.40 MB/s
SHA         1024 KB took 0.279 seconds,   3.58 MB/s
SHA-256  1024 KB took 0.690 seconds,   1.45 MB/s

RSA 2048 encryption took 111.17 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations
RSA 2048 decryption took 1204.77 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations
DH  2048 key generation   467.90 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations
DH  2048 key agreement   538.94 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations

STM32F2 Hardware Crypto, Normal Big Integer Math Library

AES        1024 kB took 0.105 seconds,   9.52 MB/s
ARC4     1024 KB took 0.219 seconds,   4.57 MB/s
DES       1024 KB took 0.125 seconds,   8.00 MB/s
3DES     1024 KB took 0.141 seconds,   7.09 MB/s

MD5           1024 KB took 0.045 seconds,  22.22 MB/s
SHA           1024 KB took 0.047 seconds,  21.28 MB/s
SHA-256  1024 KB took 0.690 seconds,   1.45 MB/s

RSA 2048 encryption took 111.09 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations
RSA 2048 decryption took 1204.88 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations
DH  2048 key generation  467.56 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations
DH  2048 key agreement   542.11 milliseconds, avg over 100 iterations

To enable STM32 hardware crypto and RNG support, define STM32F2_CRYPTO and STM32F2_RNG when building CyaSSL. For a more complete list of defines which may be required, please see the CYASSL_STM32F2 define in /cyassl/ctaocrypt/settings.h.

If you would like to use CyaSSL with STM32 hardware-based cryptography or RNG, or have any questions, please contact us at facts@wolfssl.com for more information. The latest stable release of CyaSSL is available for download under the GPLv2 direct from the wolfSSL website.

CyaSSL embedded SSL library: http://wolfssl.com/yaSSL/Products-cyassl.html
STM32: http://www.st.com/internet/mcu/class/1734.jsp
STM32F2 Standard Peripheral Library documentation: http://www.st.com/internet/com/TECHNICAL_RESOURCES/TECHNICAL_LITERATURE/USER_MANUAL/DM00023896.pdf