Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 10:42:42 +0200 From: Mark Murray <mark@grondar.za> To: Kris Kennaway <kris@FreeBSD.org> Cc: current@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: randomdev entropy gathering is really weak Message-ID: <200007170842.KAA00475@grimreaper.grondar.za> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0007170003110.2839-100000@freefall.freebsd.org> ; from Kris Kennaway <kris@FreeBSD.org> "Mon, 17 Jul 2000 00:04:58 MST." References: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0007170003110.2839-100000@freefall.freebsd.org>
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> On Mon, 17 Jul 2000, Mark Murray wrote: > > > > On the other hand, doing a dd if=/dev/random of=/dev/null gives me > > > infinite "randomness" at 10MB/sec - have the semantics of /dev/random > > > changed? > > > > Yes; remember that what we have here is Yarrow algorithm; which is an > > algorithm for cryptographically secure PRNG - one whose internal state > > is unguessable, or if compromised folr some reason is self-recovering. > > > > "Infinite" randomness is possible with this algorithm. > > On the other hand, didn't you say that at system boot the RNG is > essentially unseeded, so this is actually a liability because processes > cannot be sure they're getting real randomness. Until you type or move the mouse. I'm putting the rest of the harvesting calls in today. M -- Mark Murray Join the anti-SPAM movement: http://www.cauce.org To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
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