Provided by: libbobcat-dev_5.11.01-1_amd64 
NAME
FBB::DiffieHellman - Diffie-Hellman PKI, computing shared keys
SYNOPSIS
#include <bobcat/diffiehellman>
Linking option: -lbobcat -lcrypto
DESCRIPTION
The class FBB::DiffieHellman computes shared keys (shared secrets) using the
Diffie-Hellman (1976) algorithm. The Diffie-Hellman algorithm uses public and private
information, providing a public key infrastructure (PKI). The public information consists
of a prime (e.g., a prime number consisting of 1024 bits), a generator (for which the
value 5 is commonly used), and (using ** to represent the power operator on integral
values) the value generator ** private mod prime, where private is a randomly selected
large number, which is the private information.
The Diffie-Hellman algorithm is commonly used to compute a shared key which can be used to
encrypt information sent between two parties. One party, which in this man-page is called
the initiator computes the prime and defines the generator. The prime is computed by
FBB::DiffieHellman’s first constructor, while the generator is passed to this constructor
as one of its arguments. For the generator the value 5 is often used.
Next the initiator passes its public information, consisting of the prime, the generator,
and the value generator ** private mod prime) to the other party, which in this man-page
is called the peer. The public information is written in binairy, big-endian form to file
using the member save. The initiator may optionally save the private information to a
separate file as well.
The peer thereupon receives the initiator’s public information. The initialor’s public
information is read by a FBB::DiffieHellman constructor either expecting the name of a
file or a std::istream containining the initiator’s public information.
Having obtained the prime and generator, the peer’s public (and, optionally, private
information) is saved by also calling save. This results, among other things, in the value
generator ** private mod prime, but now using the peer’s private information.
At this point the peer is already able to compute the shared key. The key is returned by
calling the key member, which returns the shared key as a series of bytes stored in a
std::string.
Before the initiator can compute the shared key the peer’s generator ** private mod prime
value must be available. The peer sends the saved public data to the initiator. The
initiator then passes the peer’s public data either by file name or by std::istream to the
key member, returning the shared key.
Perfect Forward Secrecy and Ephemeral Diffie Hellman
If the initiator and peer decide not to save their private information Perfect Forward
Secrecy and Ephemeral Diffie Hellman may be obtained. Here, the procedure is applied as
follows:
o Initiator and peer have agreed upon and securely exchanged a long-lasting common
secret, which may be used in combination with, e.g., symmetric encryption methods.
o Applying the abovementioned procedure, the private information is never saved on
file. Consequently, the shared key, once computed, cannot be reconstructed anymore.
o The value generator ** private mod prime is not sent to either peer or initiator
`in the clear’, but encrypted using the long-lasting common secret. As the current
implementation saves all public information on file, it’s probably easiest to
encrypt the file containing the public information.
o The recipients, having received the other party’s encrypted public information,
decrypt it using the long-lasting shared secret and compute the the shared key.
o As the secret information is not kept, the shared key cannot be reconstructed,
while a Man-In-The-Middle attack is prevented by only exchanging encrypted public
information.
o The shared key can now be used to encrypt a communication session
Document encryption using Diffie Hellman
As with PKI in general, the Diffie Hellman key exchange method itself is not normally used
for encrypting documents. Instead, it is usually used to exchange the key that is used for
symmetric encryption methods like 3DES and CBC. These symmetric encryption methods are
available through, e.g., Bobcats’ EncryptBuf, DecryptBuf, and ISymCryptStream classes.
NAMESPACE
FBB
All constructors, members, operators and manipulators, mentioned in this man-page, are
defined in the namespace FBB.
INHERITS FROM
-
PUBLIC ENUMERATION
The enumeration FBB::DiffieHellman::SecretKey has two values:
o DONT_SAVE_SECRET_KEY, indicating that the secret information should not be saved on
file;
o SAVE_SECRET_KEY, indicating that the secret information should be saved on file;
CONSTRUCTORS
o DiffieHellman(size_t primeLength = 1024, size_t generator = 5, bool progress =
false):
This constructor computes a prime of the specified length, and initializes the
public information with the indicated generator. The prime length must at least be
1024 or an FBB::Exception is thrown. If progress is true, the progress of the
prime construction process is shown to std::cout by a series of dots, minuses and
plusses. Generating a suitable prime may fail, resulting in an FBB::Exception being
thrown. Unless the generator is specified as 2 or 5 the warning cannot check the
validity of generator ... is inserted into the mstream(3bobcat)’s wmsg object. A
warning is also inserted if the provided generator is not a generator for the
computed prime.
This constructor should be called by the initiator to start the Diffie-Hellman
shared key computation procedure.
o DiffieHellman(std::string const &initiatorPublicFileName):
This constructor should be called by the peer, after having received the
initiator’s public info. It makes the initiator’s public information available to
the peer, after which the peer’s public and private information can be computed.
o DiffieHellman(std::stream &initiatorPublicStream):
This constructor acts like the previous constructor, expecting a std::istream
rather than a file name. It should be called by the peer, after having received the
initiator’s public info. It makes the initiator’s public information available to
the peer, after which the peer’s public and private information can be computed.
o DiffieHellman(std::string const &initiatorPublicFileName, std::string const
&initiatorPrivateFileName):
Unless the initiator’s DiffieHellman object is still available, this constructor
should again be called by the initiator, to load the initiator’s public and private
data.
o DiffieHellman(std::stream &initiatorPublicStream, std::stream
&initiatorPrivateStream):
This constructor acts like the previous constructor, expecting std::istreams rather
than file names. It should be called by the initiator, to load the initiator’s
public and private info.
Copy and move constructors (and assignment operators) are available.
MEMBER FUNCTIONS
o std::string key() const:
This member should be called by the peer. It returns the shared key. If the key
cannot be computed, or if the key is not resistant to the small group attack (i.e.,
if the key equals 1, or is at least equal to the public prime value, or if key **
((prime - 1) / 2) mod prime != 1), then an FBB::Exception is thrown.
o std::string key(std::string const &peerPublicFileName) const:
This member should be called by the initiator. It skips the data referring to the
prime and generator found in peerPublicFileName and then reads the peer’s generator
** private mod prime value. If this value cannot be read or if the key is not
resistant to the small group attack (cf. the description of the previous key
member) then an FBB::Exception is thrown. It returns the shared key.
o std::string key(std::istream const &peerPublicStream) const:
This member should be called by the initiator. It acts like the previous key
member, reading the peer’s generator ** private mod prime value from
peerPublicStream. It returns the shared key.
o void save(std::string const &basename, SecretKey action = DONT_SAVE_SECRET_KEY):
This member should be called by the initiator. It saves the public information on
the file ’basename’.pub. The information is written in binary, big-endian format,
using the following organization:
- the size of the prime in bytes;
- the prime’s bytes;
- the size of the generator in bytes;
- the generator’s bytes;
- the size of the public info (generator ** private mod prime) in bytes;
- the public info’s bytes.
If action is specified as SAVE_SECRET_KEY then the private information is written
in binary, big-endian format, using the following organization:
- the size of the private information in bytes;
- the private information bytes.
EXAMPLE
When called without arguments, the example program generates Diffie-Hellman parameters
writing the initiator’s public and private information to, respectively, init.pub and
init.sec.
When called with one argument, init.pub is read, and the peer’s public and private
information is written to, respectively, peer.pub and peer.sec. Next, the (peer’s) shared
key is written to peerkey.
When called with two arguments, init.pub and init.sec are read, as well as the peer’s
public information (on the file peer.pub). Next, the (initiator’s) shared key is written
to initkey.
The files peerkey and initkey should be identical.
#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <bobcat/diffiehellman>
using namespace FBB;
using namespace std;
int main(int argc, char **argv)
try
{
if (argc == 1) // initiator: create DH parameters
{
DiffieHellman dh(1024, 5, true);
dh.save("init", DiffieHellman::SAVE_SECRET_KEY);
}
if (argc == 2) // peer: save peer’s scret key
{
DiffieHellman dh("init.pub");
dh.save("peer", DiffieHellman::SAVE_SECRET_KEY);
string key = dh.key();
cout << "Key length: " << key.length() << ’\n’;
ofstream outkey("peerkey");
outkey.write(key.data(), key.length());
}
if (argc == 3)
{
DiffieHellman dh("init.pub", "init.sec");
string key = dh.key("peer.pub");
cout << "Key length: " << key.length() << ’\n’;
ofstream outkey("initkey");
outkey.write(key.data(), key.length());
}
}
catch (std::exception const &exc)
{
std::cout << exc.what() << ’\n’;
}
FILES
bobcat/diffiehellman - defines the class interface
SEE ALSO
bobcat(7), bigint(3bobcat), decryptbuf(3bobcat), encryptbuf(3bobcat),
isymcryptstream(3bobcat)
BUGS
None Reported.
BOBCAT PROJECT FILES
o https://fbb-git.gitlab.io/bobcat/: gitlab project page;
o bobcat_5.11.01-x.dsc: detached signature;
o bobcat_5.11.01-x.tar.gz: source archive;
o bobcat_5.11.01-x_i386.changes: change log;
o libbobcat1_5.11.01-x_*.deb: debian package containing the libraries;
o libbobcat1-dev_5.11.01-x_*.deb: debian package containing the libraries, headers
and manual pages;
BOBCAT
Bobcat is an acronym of `Brokken’s Own Base Classes And Templates’.
COPYRIGHT
This is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License
(GPL).
AUTHOR
Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl).