nerdexam
EC-Council

312-50V11 · Question #951

Tony wants to integrate a 128-bit symmetric block cipher with key sizes of 128,192, or 256 bits into a software program, which involves 32 rounds of computational operations that include…

The correct answer is D. serpent. Serpent matches every specified parameter: 128-bit block, 128/192/256-bit keys, 32 rounds, four 32-bit word blocks, and 8 S-boxes with 4-bit input and 4-bit output.

Cryptography

Question

Tony wants to integrate a 128-bit symmetric block cipher with key sizes of 128,192, or 256 bits into a software program, which involves 32 rounds of computational operations that include substitution and permutation operations on four 32-bit word blocks using 8-variable S-boxes with 4-bit entry and 4-bit exit. Which of the following algorithms includes all the above features and can be integrated by Tony into the software program?

Options

  • ATEA
  • BCAST-128
  • CRC5
  • Dserpent

How the community answered

(32 responses)
  • A
    3% (1)
  • B
    19% (6)
  • C
    13% (4)
  • D
    66% (21)

Why each option

Serpent matches every specified parameter: 128-bit block, 128/192/256-bit keys, 32 rounds, four 32-bit word blocks, and 8 S-boxes with 4-bit input and 4-bit output.

ATEA

TEA (Tiny Encryption Algorithm) operates on 64-bit blocks using a Feistel network structure with data-dependent operations and does not use the S-box architecture with 4-bit entries and exits described.

BCAST-128

CAST-128 uses a 64-bit block size and supports key sizes from 40 to 128 bits with either 12 or 16 rounds, which does not match the 128-bit block size or 32-round specification.

CRC5

RC5 uses data-dependent rotations and a Feistel-like structure with variable block sizes and round counts, and does not employ 8 S-boxes with 4-bit entries and exits as described.

DserpentCorrect

Serpent is a symmetric block cipher operating on 128-bit blocks split into four 32-bit words, supporting key sizes of 128, 192, or 256 bits. It performs exactly 32 rounds of substitution-permutation network operations using 8 distinct S-boxes, each with a 4-bit input and 4-bit output - precisely matching every technical parameter described. Serpent was an AES finalist known for its conservative, high-round-count design that prioritizes security margin over speed.

Concept tested: Serpent symmetric block cipher technical specifications

Source: https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/serpent.pdf

Topics

#Serpent cipher#block cipher#symmetric encryption#S-boxes

Community Discussion

No community discussion yet for this question.

Full 312-50V11 Practice