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Security Analysis of Some Output of RC4 Cryptosystem

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e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries (AFRICOMM 2013)

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Abstract

RC4 is one of the most widely used cryptosystem by many applications. It is used for secure communications; file encryption, Secure Sockets Layer, Wired Equivalent Protocol, potentially useful in many popular systems, it is a random bit generator. In this paper, we analyze the linear relationship in the output of RC4 over a large number of keys. In our method we test linear functions of the keystream. For each such linear function, we run the RC4 algorithm on a large randomly chosen set of keys and evaluate the corresponding output. Using statistical test we find that on some output of the RC4, the combination of output bits is not truly random.

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References

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  5. Thangalimodzi, K.: Linear Cryptanalysis of RC4. Master of Science, Thesis. Mzuzu University (2008)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Malawi, The Polytechnic, Pvt Bag 303, Blantyre, Malawi

    Kondwani Thangalimodzi, Gift Khangamwa & Patrick Albert Chikumba

Authors
  1. Kondwani Thangalimodzi
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  2. Gift Khangamwa
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  3. Patrick Albert Chikumba
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kondwani Thangalimodzi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Tegawendé F. Bissyandé

  2. Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe

    Gertjan van Stam

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© 2014 Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering

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Thangalimodzi, K., Khangamwa, G., Chikumba, P.A. (2014). Security Analysis of Some Output of RC4 Cryptosystem. In: Bissyandé, T., van Stam, G. (eds) e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries. AFRICOMM 2013. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 135. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08368-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08368-1_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-08367-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08368-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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