[Announce] Attack against OpenPGP encryption

[Atom Smasher]

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as is obvious by my questions, i don't understand the math.

http://www.pgp.com/library/ctocorner/openpgp.html

  	Consequently, PGP Corporation, GnuPG, and Hush Communications are
  	all disabling the quick check for all public key-encrypted
  	messages and files. However, we are all presently leaving it in
  	for symmetric (passphrase) encrypted messages and files because we
  	believe the benefit of the quick check is greater than the
  	security risk from it. You will see this change in the next
  	software release from each group.

what about data that is encrypted with both a symmetric and asymmetric 
key?


  	In our discussions with Mister and Zuccherato about their attack,
  	we asked if they thought we should revise the protocol to address
  	the problem. They told us they didn't think it was necessary-that
  	an explanation of the issue and how to avoid it was good enough.

  	As implementers of OpenPGP systems, however, we think we should
  	update the protocol. People trust OpenPGP because we handle issues
  	before they become real-world problems...

how could this "become" a real world problem? is it conceivable that it 
might be leveraged into a stronger attack?


  	We are suggesting in the working group that we amend OpenPGP so
  	there is a new symmetric encryption system that has a secure quick
  	check.

like using a strong hash for the quick check? wouldn't that also benefit 
symmetric encryption with no significant increase in computational 
resources?



- -- 
          ...atom

   _________________________________________
   PGP key - http://atom.smasher.org/pgp.txt
   762A 3B98 A3C3 96C9 C6B7 582A B88D 52E4 D9F5 7808
   -------------------------------------------------

  	"Democracy and capitalism have very different beliefs about
  	 the proper distribution of power. One believes in a
  	 completely equal distribution of political power, 'one man,
  	 one vote', while the other believes that it is the duty of
  	 the economically fit to drive the unfit out of business and
  	 into economic extinction, and inequalities in purchasing
  	 power is what capitalist efficiency is all about. Individuals
  	 and firms become efficient to be rich. To put it in its
  	 starkest form, capitalism is perfectly compatible with
  	 slavery. The American South had such a system for more than
  	 two centuries. Democracy is not compatible with slavery."
  		-- Lester Thurow, The Future of Capitalism

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Comment: What is this gibberish?
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