312-50V12 · Question #321
Harper, a software engineer, is developing an email application. To ensure the confidentiality of email messages, Harper uses a symmetric-key block cipher having a classical 12- or 16-round Feistel ne
The correct answer is A. CAST-128. The question describes a symmetric-key block cipher with a 64-bit block size, a Feistel network, 8x32-bit S-boxes based on bent functions, and specific key-dependent operations, which precisely characterizes the CAST-128 algorithm.
Question
Options
- ACAST-128
- BAES
- CGOST block cipher
- DDES
How the community answered
(60 responses)- A87% (52)
- B8% (5)
- C3% (2)
- D2% (1)
Why each option
The question describes a symmetric-key block cipher with a 64-bit block size, a Feistel network, 8x32-bit S-boxes based on bent functions, and specific key-dependent operations, which precisely characterizes the CAST-128 algorithm.
CAST-128 is a symmetric-key block cipher that employs a 12- or 16-round Feistel network with a 64-bit block size. Its design incorporates large 8x32-bit S-boxes derived from bent functions, along with modular addition/subtraction, key-dependent rotation, and XOR operations, utilizing both masking (Km1) and rotation (Kr1) keys in its round function, matching all details provided in the question.
AES uses a 128-bit block size and is a substitution-permutation network, not a Feistel cipher, which fundamentally contradicts the description of the algorithm.
While GOST block cipher uses a 64-bit block size and a Feistel network, it uses 4x4-bit S-boxes, not the 8x32-bit S-boxes based on bent functions described in the question.
DES uses a 64-bit block size and a Feistel network, but it employs 6x4-bit S-boxes and does not feature the specific 8x32-bit S-boxes based on bent functions or the explicit masking and rotation keys (Km1, Kr1) as described.
Concept tested: Cryptographic algorithm identification (CAST-128 characteristics)
Source: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc2144
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