🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <n0eeat@ofa123.fidonet.org> Erik.Lindano@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
>Writes kocherp@leland.stanford.edu (Paul C. Kocher):
> 
> > It sounds to me like this "encryption" system just involves 
> > XORing random numbers onto the plaintext, which would explain 
> > why the program is very short, cannot use keys, and produces 
> > different cryptotext when run multiple times (different random 
> > number seeds stored at the beginning of the cryptotext).
> 
> The name seems familiar... the PKZIP password cracker? 

yes.

> How... ah, interesting that you should make so many assumptions 
> regarding an encryption method that you haven't even seen.  

Since you haven't shown anyone your algorithm, or even output from
it, I don't see how you can expect anything else.

> Well, if it's that simple, it should be real easy to crack! Wanna 
> try?

Sure, but I can't until you post some data.

By the way, RNG-based encryption can be extremely strong, depending
on how good the random number generator is.  One based on DES, for
example, could be very, very strong.  I came across a RNG-based
encryption algorithm a while ago, and I can tell you from experience
that it was not "real easy to crack," especially since I had no idea
what compiler was used.  If that isn't obvious to you and your friend,
I'm afraid it's quite unlikely that your algorithm is useful.

> (Actually, NuCrypt uses embedded, 2048-bit continuously- 
> shifting keys.  Not sure what that means, but you might know :-)   

It says essentially nothing about the strength of the algorithm, and
is not incompatible with my earlier guess about how it might work.

> Feel like taking a pot shot at it?  Nah, you're probably too busy 
> doing something else this time of year, right?  Mating season 
> perhaps..?  

I'd be happy to take a crack at it, it you'd be so kind as to post
some plaintext/ciphertext instead of making inappropriate comments.
This whole discussion is wasting net bandwidth, and the few of us who
haven't already it into our kill files are starting to wonder what
you are trying to hide, since you've posted nothing.

-- Paul Kocher
kocherp@leland.stanford.edu