Insecure encryption algorithm - Insecure Elliptic Curve - Ruby

Need

Secure encryption algorithm with strong elliptic curves

Context

1. Usage of Ruby for building web applications and scripting
2. Usage of OpenSSL for secure communication and encryption

Description

Insecure Code Example

require 'openssl'

private_key = OpenSSL::PKey::EC.new('secp112r1')
private_key.generate_key

public_key = OpenSSL::PKey::EC.new(private_key)
public_key.private_key = nil

cipher = OpenSSL::Cipher.new('AES-128-CBC')
cipher.encrypt

iv = cipher.random_iv

cipher.key = private_key.private_key.to_s[0..15]

encrypted = cipher.update('Sensitive Data') + cipher.final

The above code represents a vulnerability known as Insecure Elliptic Curve. It uses a weak elliptic curve `secp112r1` for generating the private and public keys. The `OpenSSL::PKey::EC.new('secp112r1')` initializes a new elliptic curve with the specified curve name. This curve is considered weak due to its small key size (112-bit), making it susceptible to attacks. Next, the `private_key.generate_key` generates the private key for the elliptic curve. The public key is then generated from the private key and the private key of the public key is set to `nil`. The code then creates a new cipher for encryption using `OpenSSL::Cipher.new('AES-128-CBC')`, sets the cipher mode to encryption, and generates a random initialization vector (IV). The key for the cipher is then set to the first 16 characters of the private key's string representation. This is another vulnerability as it uses a part of the private key as the symmetric encryption key. Finally, the sensitive data is encrypted using the cipher's `update` method and the encryption is finalized with the `final` method. The resulting encrypted data is highly insecure due to the weak elliptic curve and improper use of the private key.

Steps

1. Replace the use of weak elliptic curves with stronger ones.
2. Use a secure encryption algorithm instead of the insecure one.
3. Ensure that the encryption key is securely generated and stored.
4. Implement proper key management practices to protect the encryption key.
5. Regularly update and patch the cryptographic libraries used in the application.

Secure Code Example

require 'openssl'

# Use a stronger elliptic curve
private_key = OpenSSL::PKey::EC.new('secp384r1')
private_key.generate_key

public_key = OpenSSL::PKey::EC.new(private_key)
public_key.private_key = nil

cipher = OpenSSL::Cipher.new('AES-256-CBC')
cipher.encrypt

# Generate a secure random IV
iv = cipher.random_iv

# Use a secure method to generate and store the encryption key
cipher.key = OpenSSL::PKey::PBKDF2HMAC.new('sha256').derive(private_key.private_key.to_s, 'salt', 10000, 32)

encrypted = cipher.update('Sensitive Data') + cipher.final

The original code was using a weak elliptic curve 'secp112r1' for generating the private key. This curve is not considered secure and can lead to vulnerabilities. The fixed code uses a stronger elliptic curve 'secp384r1' which is currently recommended for most applications. The original code was also using AES-128-CBC for encryption, which is not as secure as AES-256-CBC. The fixed code uses AES-256-CBC for stronger encryption. The initialization vector (IV) is generated using a secure random method, which is a good practice to prevent predictability in the encryption process. The encryption key was originally derived from the private key using a simple substring operation, which is not secure. The fixed code uses a secure method to generate and store the encryption key. It uses the PBKDF2 (Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2) algorithm with HMAC and SHA-256, a salt, and 10,000 iterations to derive a 32-byte key from the private key. This method is currently recommended for generating and storing encryption keys. Remember to implement proper key management practices to protect the encryption key and regularly update and patch the cryptographic libraries used in the application.

References

Last updated

2023/09/18