RECENT BLOG NEWS

The FREAK Attack exploits legacy SSL cipher suites from the 1990s that use RSA export keys.  By definition a server in export mode has to use a low bit strength RSA key (512 bits or less), which can now be cracked in around 12 hours.  Even if a client supports export cipher suites but doesn’t broadcast support for them a man in the middle attacker can force the server to use the low grade key.  Fortunately for wolfSSL and CyaSSL users we do no support export cipher suites and key derivation.  No versions of wolfSSL or CyaSSL are vulnerable to the FREAK attack.  For more information check out: https://freakattack.com and  https://www.smacktls.com/#freak .

Or feel free to visit our website at wolfssl.com or email us at facts@wolfssl.com .

Hi! We are currently seeking an additional senior C/C++ developer for our team. Ideally, our best candidates will have 5+ years of experience coding C/C++. Experience at the systems level, working with networking protocols, working with cryptography, and an affinity for open source are useful but not necessary. This is a position where you will primarily work at home, with occasional travel to team meetings, trade events, and customers. With the right skill set, we are open to you working anywhere, but we prefer those who reside in Montana, Seattle, and Portland, because we already have clusters of people working in those locations.

If you are interested, please email your resume to larry@wolfssl.com.

As a lightweight, embedded SSL library, wolfSSL has been used to secure many smart home devices such as lighting, garage doors, washers and dryers, thermostats, as well as a variety of other appliances. Security may not be the first thought when developing a smart home device, but there remains the risk of an attacker gaining access to a wirelessly connected thermostat that has complete control of a home’s heating and cooling system. This could be detrimental to the utility bill, plumbing, and even pets left in the house susceptible to extreme temperatures. Imagine going on vacation during frigid weather and the home’s heating is disabled. This could cause frozen and potentially bursting pipes, which in turn could lead to flooding, costing thousands of dollars in repairs. wolfSSL is designed specifically to prevent these issues. Devices secured with wolfSSL give homeowners a necessary comfort knowing their home is resistant to wireless intruders and other security threats.

For more information on how wolfSSL can be used to secure a smart thermostat or other connected home devices, feel free to visit our website at wolfssl.com or email us at facts@wolfssl.com.

Hi! This note is to announce that we will be FIPS 140-2 validating our cryptography library, wolfCrypt, on the FreeRTOS platform. If you need FIPS validated crypto on FreeRTOS, let us know at facts@wolfssl.com.

For those of you who have been following our FIPS progress, we are now in the “Review Pending” phase.  See:  http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140InProcess.pdf (this link is out of date and obsolete, as wolfCrypt now has 2 FIPS validation certificates – #2425 and #3389)

A block cipher is an encryption method that applies a deterministic algorithm along with a symmetric key to encrypt a block of text, rather than encrypting one bit at a time as in stream ciphers. For example, a common block cipher, AES, encrypts 128 bit blocks with a key of predetermined length: 128, 192, or 256 bits. Block ciphers are pseudorandom permutation (PRP) families that operate on the fixed size block of bits. PRPs are functions that cannot be differentiated from completely random permutations and thus, are considered reliable, until proven unreliable.

Block cipher modes of operation have been developed to eliminate the chance of encrypting identical blocks of text the same way, the ciphertext formed from the previous encrypted block is applied to the next block. A block of bits called an initialization vector (IV) is also used by modes of operation to ensure ciphertexts remain distinct even when the same plaintext message is encrypted a number of times.

Some of the various modes of operation for block ciphers include CBC (cipher block chaining), CFB (cipher feedback), CTR (counter), and GCM (Galois/Counter Mode), among others. Above is an example of CBC mode.

Where an IV is crossed with the initial plaintext block and the encryption algorithm is completed with a given key and the ciphertext is then outputted. This resultant cipher text is then used in place of the IV in subsequent plaintext blocks.

For information on the block ciphers that are implemented in wolfSSL or to learn more about the wolfSSL lightweight, embedded SSL library, go to wolfssl.com or contact us at facts@wolfssl.com.

References

[1] Pseudorandom permutation. (2014, November 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Retrieved 22:06, December 18, 2014, from 
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pseudorandom_permutation&oldid=635108728.

[2] Margaret Rouse. (2014). Block Cipher [Online]. Available URL:
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/block-cipher.

[3] Block cipher mode of operation. (2014, December 12). In Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:17, December 18, 2014, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Block_cipher_mode_of_operation&oldid=637837298

[4] Wikimedia. (2014). Available URL:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Cbc_encryption.png.

wolfSSL is proud to announce that several wolfCrypt algorithms have received FIPS 140-2 algorithm certificates. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) website has been updated to reflect wolfSSL`s validation.

wolfSSL`s wolfCrypt has received the following certificate numbers and can be viewed at the respective links.

AES validation certification #3157
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-algorithm-validation-program/details?validation=3157

Triple DES validation certification #1800
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-algorithm-validation-program/details?validation=1800

RSA validation certification #1602
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-algorithm-validation-program/details?validation=1602

SHS validation certification #2614
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-algorithm-validation-program/details?validation=2614

DRBG validation certification #650
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-algorithm-validation-program/details?validation=650

HMAC validation certification #1990
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-algorithm-validation-program/details?validation=1990

These validations reflect wolfSSL`s commitment to provide the highest quality security standards.
The open source community and federal entities alike can now enjoy wolfSSL`s small footprint designed for embedded systems while taking advantage of the latest in security protocols.

References:
https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.140-2.pdf

If you are looking for an SSL/TLS library to provide security in connected ARM environments, wolfSSL is by far the best choice. wolfSSL is an ARM partner, and our code has been optimized for ARM environments. Public key operations in CyaSSL (wolfSSL) have optimized assembly code that gives wolfSSL faster RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and DSA times.

Optimized assembly code for public key operations can be found in asm.c and are easy to use, simply run ./configure –enable-fastmath and for stack usage reduction we also recommend using TFM_TIMIN_RESISTANT.

For any question regarding wolfSSL in ARM environments please contact us at facts@wolfssl.com.

Below is a link to wolfSSL’s SSL/TLS tutorial video on setting up a basic client and server with the CyaSSL lightweight, embedded SSL/TLS library. This video provides a detailed step-by-step set of instructions, including code, for incorporating CyaSSL into an application. The tutorial walks through Chapter 11 of the CyaSSL manual.

SSL/TLS Tutorial with CyaSSL Lightweight SSL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Smp3X1eWNQ

For more information please contact us at facts@wolfssl.com or go to www.wolfssl.com. Instructions for building CyaSSL may be found in Chapter 2 of the CyaSSL Manual.

Some TLS implementations are vulnerable to the October POODLE attack that at the time was thought to be limited to SSLv3 only: https://www.imperialviolet.org/2014/12/08/poodleagain.html .  These implementations are incorrectly using a SSLV3 decoding function while in TLS mode.  wolfSSL is not susceptible, it correctly uses TLS decoding while in TLS mode.  We would like to reiterate Adam Langley’s advice to use TLS 1.2 with an AEAD cipher suite whenever possible.  wolfSSL supports TLS 1.2 and has 3 cipher suite types supporting AEAD; AES-GCM, AES-CCM, and CHACHA20-POLY1305.  29 different AEAD cipher suites are available with TLS 1.2 in wolfSSL.  Please contact us at facts@wolfssl.com if you have any questions or comments.