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Is it possible to determine the symmetric encryption method used by output size?

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Is it possible to determine the symmetric encryption method used by output size?

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1

$begingroup$

I'm attempting to identify the method of encryption for a black-box symmetric encryptor that produces blocks of output that are 4 bytes in length (e.g. small inputs fit in 16 bytes, then 20 bytes and 24 bytes as more input characters are added).

It's symmetric encryption and the value is always the same for the same input text. Is it possible to determine which method of encryption is used? I'm assuming it's a block cipher as a result of the blocks of output it produces.

block-cipher symmetric blocksize

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

jSherz

asked 3 hours ago

jSherzjSherz

1064

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jSherz is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Related question on security.SE: security.stackexchange.com/questions/38797/… (I thought I remembered seeing a duplicate or at least a very similar question before on this site as well, but if so, I can't find it.)
  $endgroup$
  – Ilmari Karonen
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

$begingroup$

I'm attempting to identify the method of encryption for a black-box symmetric encryptor that produces blocks of output that are 4 bytes in length (e.g. small inputs fit in 16 bytes, then 20 bytes and 24 bytes as more input characters are added).

It's symmetric encryption and the value is always the same for the same input text. Is it possible to determine which method of encryption is used? I'm assuming it's a block cipher as a result of the blocks of output it produces.

block-cipher symmetric blocksize

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

jSherz

asked 3 hours ago

jSherzjSherz

1064

New contributor

jSherz is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Related question on security.SE: security.stackexchange.com/questions/38797/… (I thought I remembered seeing a duplicate or at least a very similar question before on this site as well, but if so, I can't find it.)
  $endgroup$
  – Ilmari Karonen
  2 hours ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

I'm attempting to identify the method of encryption for a black-box symmetric encryptor that produces blocks of output that are 4 bytes in length (e.g. small inputs fit in 16 bytes, then 20 bytes and 24 bytes as more input characters are added).

It's symmetric encryption and the value is always the same for the same input text. Is it possible to determine which method of encryption is used? I'm assuming it's a block cipher as a result of the blocks of output it produces.

block-cipher symmetric blocksize

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

jSherz

asked 3 hours ago

jSherzjSherz

1064

New contributor

jSherz is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

jSherz

asked 3 hours ago

jSherzjSherz

1064

New contributor

jSherz is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 2 hours ago

jSherz

asked 3 hours ago

jSherzjSherz

1064

New contributor

jSherz is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 3 hours ago

jSherzjSherz

1064

New contributor

jSherz is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 3 hours ago

jSherzjSherz

1064

1 Answer
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2

$begingroup$

Simply put: No.

Without knowing other details, you cannot be sure. That being said, in the case you described, the black box uses 4 bytes blocks, which is rather uncommon with modern block ciphers. AES e.g. uses 128bits (16bytes), Blowfish uses 64bits (8bytes). 4byte block ciphers are very uncommon now. Even DES, which is quite outdated and old uses 8 bytes. The only block cipher used that has 32bit block size and comes to my mind is RC5.

So as you can see, you can make an educated guess. But given just the ciphertext, this does not inform you at all about encryption used. This is one of the key aspects of cryptography btw, encrypted data should look as much as random data as possible.

You cannot even be sure that this is a block cipher. Could be a stream cipher with padding. So if the only thing you know is: "I have a box. I feed it data and it spits out data in chunks of 4 bytes" - then you know nothin', j Sherz

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

michnovkamichnovka

19229

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2

$begingroup$

Simply put: No.

Without knowing other details, you cannot be sure. That being said, in the case you described, the black box uses 4 bytes blocks, which is rather uncommon with modern block ciphers. AES e.g. uses 128bits (16bytes), Blowfish uses 64bits (8bytes). 4byte block ciphers are very uncommon now. Even DES, which is quite outdated and old uses 8 bytes. The only block cipher used that has 32bit block size and comes to my mind is RC5.

So as you can see, you can make an educated guess. But given just the ciphertext, this does not inform you at all about encryption used. This is one of the key aspects of cryptography btw, encrypted data should look as much as random data as possible.

You cannot even be sure that this is a block cipher. Could be a stream cipher with padding. So if the only thing you know is: "I have a box. I feed it data and it spits out data in chunks of 4 bytes" - then you know nothin', j Sherz

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

michnovkamichnovka

19229

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

2

$begingroup$

Simply put: No.

Without knowing other details, you cannot be sure. That being said, in the case you described, the black box uses 4 bytes blocks, which is rather uncommon with modern block ciphers. AES e.g. uses 128bits (16bytes), Blowfish uses 64bits (8bytes). 4byte block ciphers are very uncommon now. Even DES, which is quite outdated and old uses 8 bytes. The only block cipher used that has 32bit block size and comes to my mind is RC5.

So as you can see, you can make an educated guess. But given just the ciphertext, this does not inform you at all about encryption used. This is one of the key aspects of cryptography btw, encrypted data should look as much as random data as possible.

You cannot even be sure that this is a block cipher. Could be a stream cipher with padding. So if the only thing you know is: "I have a box. I feed it data and it spits out data in chunks of 4 bytes" - then you know nothin', j Sherz

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

michnovkamichnovka

19229

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

Simply put: No.

Without knowing other details, you cannot be sure. That being said, in the case you described, the black box uses 4 bytes blocks, which is rather uncommon with modern block ciphers. AES e.g. uses 128bits (16bytes), Blowfish uses 64bits (8bytes). 4byte block ciphers are very uncommon now. Even DES, which is quite outdated and old uses 8 bytes. The only block cipher used that has 32bit block size and comes to my mind is RC5.

So as you can see, you can make an educated guess. But given just the ciphertext, this does not inform you at all about encryption used. This is one of the key aspects of cryptography btw, encrypted data should look as much as random data as possible.

You cannot even be sure that this is a block cipher. Could be a stream cipher with padding. So if the only thing you know is: "I have a box. I feed it data and it spits out data in chunks of 4 bytes" - then you know nothin', j Sherz

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

michnovkamichnovka

19229

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

answered 2 hours ago

michnovkamichnovka

19229

answered 2 hours ago

michnovkamichnovka

19229

answered 2 hours ago

michnovkamichnovka

19229