Get to Know What a Known-Plaintext Attack Is

What is a known-plaintext attack?

Known-Plaintext attacks, also known as KPA, occur when a hacker exploits pairs of unencrypted and encrypted data to differentiate the encryption key or algorithm used in the encryption process.

During a Known-Plaintext Attack, the attacker has the ciphertext (encrypted data) and the associated known-plaintext (original, unencrypted data). By examining the relationship between these pairs, the attacker attempts to uncover the encryption key or algorithm.

For example, if the word "CRYPTO" is encrypted as "XUZZA", knowledge of this pair could allow an attacker to decrypt other parts of the message encrypted with the same substitution key. This illustrates how even minimal information can produce more extensive decryption with certain encryption algorithms.

The attacks exploit vulnerabilities in encryption techniques that inadvertently reveal patterns or relationships between plaintext and ciphertext. If not addressed, known-plaintext attacks will pose a significant threat to the security of encryption systems.

The two main methods used to exploit plaintext-ciphertext pairs to reveal encryption keys include frequency analysis and pattern matching. Frequency analysis involves comparing the frequency of occurrence of certain letters or patterns in known plaintext and ciphertext to infer the encryption key. On the other hand, pattern matching requires recognizing repeated patterns in the ciphertext that match known patterns in the known-plaintext thereby revealing the encryption algorithm.

How do known-plaintext attacks work?

In a known-plaintext attack, the attacker gains insight into the encryption method by analyzing how a particular known-plaintext segment is converted into ciphertext using the same encryption key or algorithm. Attacks usually occur in the following steps:

Collects known pairs

Attackers collect original known-plaintext pairs and associated encrypted ciphertexts obtained through various means, such as intercepting communications or data breaches.

Analyze patterns

By comparing the transformations that occur when known-plaintext is encrypted to produce ciphertext, the attacker identifies regular relationships between plaintext and known ciphertext.

Obtaining a key or algorithm

Based on the observed patterns, the attacker tries to deduce important encryption components such as keys or encryption algorithms, thereby replicating the encryption process.

Decrypt other data

Armed with the deduced key or algorithm, the attacker decrypts additional encrypted data using the same encryption method, potentially compromising sensitive information or the security of the encryption system.

How to protect against known plaintext attacks?

To mitigate the risk of known-plaintext attacks, it is important to use strong encryption algorithms, securely manage encryption keys, use unique keys for each session, and implement randomness in the encryption process to improve defense against such attacks.

Choose an encryption algorithm that is resistant to known-plaintext attacks by using strong encryption techniques. Modern cryptographic algorithms such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) are specifically designed to thwart such attacks by preventing correlation between known-plaintext patterns and ciphertext.

Securely manage encryption keys to prevent unauthorized access. Utilize secure key repositories, rotate keys regularly, and implement robust key generation methods. Additionally, do not encrypt predictable pieces of data to prevent attackers from exploiting known data pairs.

Use different keys for different sessions and purposes to minimize the impact of known-plaintext attacks. By utilizing unique encryption keys for each session, the effectiveness of such attacks is reduced. Always update your systems, libraries, and encryption software to include security patches that address vulnerabilities.

Incorporate cryptographic salts — random values ​​— into known-plaintext before encryption to increase security. By adding randomness to each encryption process, even when encrypting identical known-plaintext multiple times, the uniqueness of each encryption is maintained. Finally, be careful when choosing an encryption algorithm, choose one that is proven to be resistant to known-plaintext attacks.

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Also Read:

Getting to Know Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs)

What is Encryption?

Infinite Mint Attack, a hacker attack you must watch out for

DISCLAIMER : This article is informational in nature and is not an offer or invitation to sell or buy any crypto assets. Trading crypto assets is a high-risk activity. Crypto asset prices are volatile, where prices can change significantly from time to time and Bittime is not responsible for changes in fluctuations in crypto asset exchange rates.