xor-analyze/README
XOR Cipher implementation and breaking
By Thomas Habets <thomas@habets.pp.se>
Written around 2000-2002
Introduction
------------
Every amateur cryptographer (that I've met) has at one point implemented some
version of XOR encryption. Some thinking that it's completely secure, others
did it just for fun. The truth is, of course, that it's pathetically insecure.
It's been many years since I first implemented XOR encryption, and then it
was just with an 8-bit key. Here's a variable key-length implementation and a
program for breaking using a ciphertext-only attack (known/chosen
plaintext/ciphertext is so trivial I broke them when I first implemented the
8-bit version when I was eight years old).
This program was inspired by the excellent book 'Applied cryptography' by Bruce
Schneier. ISBN 0-471-11709-9 or 0-471-12845-7. Buy it, read it. Love it.
Although XOR 'encryption' is trivially broken I have never seen a program for
automatically breaking it, so I made one myself.
Algorithms
----------
To find out what length the password is the ciphertext is XOR-ed against itself
with different shifts (see XOR_analyze::coincidence() in analyze.cc) and the
number of zeroes (equal bytes) are counted. This is called counting
coincidences. When the number of zeroes is high the shift value is potentially
a multiple of the key length. The one that stands out most is checked with
statistics (with a frequency table) to get the key. To check with statistics on
all key-lengths in key-length interval (-m and -M) use the -a switch (with -v
for one key per keylength).
Compiling
---------
Type 'make'. Mail me if it doesn't compile with error messages and don't forget
to tell me what kind of system you have.
Type 'make win32' to cross compile. It works on my box, but probably not on
yours. Edit the makefile adjust compiler and compiler options.
Encryption
----------
./xor-enc secret file.txt file.xor
Where:
secret = the password
file.txt = input plaintext filename
file.xor = output 'ciphertext' filename
Decryption
----------
Same as encryption.
Cryptanalyzing (cracking/breaking)
----------------------------------
'./xor-analyze -h' will give you some help.
All tests will work (are successfully cryptanalyzed) without any parameters
except ciphertext and frequency table.
Frequency table generation
--------------------------
The frequency table generator is in tests/freq.c.xor.
You need to crack the file to get it. Use the frequency table already generated
from my patched Linux source in freq/linux-2.2.14-int-m0.freq.
To generate freq/linux-2.2.14-int-m0.freq I used:
find /usr/src/linux -name "*.[ch]" | ./freq > freq/linux-2.2.14-int-m0.freq
Note that this does *not* represent average C-code.
FAQ
---
Q: The windows version doesn't work/needs file X/crashes the system.
A: Here's a nickel kid, go buy yourself a *real* OS.
If the windows version doesn't work, I won't be able to debug it myself.
The windows version is created under Linux using a cross-compiler. And since
I don't have windows, it's enough for me if it just compiles.
I don't cate about the windows version.
As someone once said: I can code the unix stuff for free, but if you want me
to program in windows, you have to pay me.
---
Q: Where can I find a compiled version (as in: "I run windows and can't code")
A: http://www.habets.pp.se/synscan/files/xor-analyze-*-BINARY.tar.gz
---
Q: I can't seem to crack this file, I'm sending it to you as an attachment.
Will you take a look at it?
A: Probably not. If you can't crack it with this program, it probably means
that I would have to spend quite a while trying. And unless you can give me
a sufficient reason to do so (like money or a favor or something) I don't
really feel like doing other peoples work.
And even if you offer money, I won't hessitate to report you to the proper
authorities if I suspect you are trying to get me involved in stolen or
otherwise dubious data.
---
Misc
----
I developed this program until it worked, and no longer. Looking at the code
now I think it should be rewritten, and maybe I'll do that some day.
If you send a patch that adds/fixes something, it'll probably be added, but
suggestions and requests will most likely not be implemented (by me) before
the rewrite.
Maybe I'll do the rewrite during the summer of 2002. But then again, maybe not.
License
-------
It's all GPL, see the LICENSE file.
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Send questions/suggestions/patches/rants/money/sparc64s to thomas@habets.pp.se