● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Anthropic AI Reveals Origins of ECDSA Cryptographic Curve Seeds
Key points
- ECDSA seed origins were a decades-old mystery.
- NSA provided seeds without explanation.
- Anthropic employees used AI to find the origin.
- Seeds are derived from timestamps.
Decades-Old Cryptographic Mystery Solved
The origin of the "seed" parameters within the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) standard has been a long-standing question in the cryptographic community. These seeds, crucial for defining the coefficient 'b' of elliptic curves, were provided by the NSA when ECDSA was adopted by NIST in 2000, without any accompanying explanation or justification.
Previous Speculation and Investigations
For years, speculation surrounded the seeds' provenance. One popular theory suggested they were derived from a hash of a humorous passphrase, possibly involving NSA employees Jerry Solinas and Bob Reiter. However, attempts to confirm this theory were unsuccessful, and Solinas, who passed away in 2023, could not provide details.
Anthropic AI Uncovers Timestamp Origin
Employees at Anthropic, after previous unsuccessful attempts, utilized an AI to investigate the seeds. This effort revealed that the seeds are derived from timestamps. This finding resolves the mystery, providing a definitive answer to the cryptographic community's concerns about the origins of these critical parameters.
Implications for ECDSA
The discovery provides a "closing chapter" to years of speculation regarding ECDSA's seed values. While the origin was unknown, most researchers already trusted the curves. The revelation that the seeds are based on timestamps means there is no need for users or implementers to take any action or change their current practices regarding ECDSA.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Anthropic employees, using an AI, have uncovered the origin of the "seed" parameters used in the widely adopted ECDSA cryptographic standard. The seeds, previously unexplained and provided by the NSA, were found to be derived from timestamps, resolving a decades-old cryptographic mystery.