New and improved Linux Random Number Generator (LRNG) – Proposed replacement for /dev/random

guest · Nov 17, 2021

New and improved Linux Random Number Generator ready for testing
Proposed replacement for /dev/random promises to double performance and add flexibility
November 17, 2021
https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/new-and-improved-linux-random-number-generator-ready-for-testing

A modern alternative to the core encryption technology bundled with Linux distributions is ready for testing after five years of development.

The Linux Random Number Generator (LRNG), which relies on several computing functions to act as a source of entropy, is designed to be a drop-in replacement for the long-established /dev/random function.
Click to expand...

The technology is designed to offer both API (application programming interface) and ABI (application binary interface) compatibility with its /dev/random predecessor, while offering several performance and utility advantages.

LRNG offers a better doubling (130%) performance improvement on the /dev/random function.
Click to expand...

Foundations showing their age
The /dev/random is the “very foundation” of cryptography on Linux, developer Stephan Müller told The Daily Swig. “If /dev/random breaks, the entire cryptography on Linux is broken,” Müller said.

“Due to the new requirements vendors want to adhere to, every vendor is ‘cooking’ up his own patches to bypass or enhance the existing /dev/random. In my honest opinion, this is a very challenging situation.”
Click to expand...

Linux RNG: Sources of entropy
According to Müller, LPRG incorporates four entropy sources that operate completely independent of each other including execution timing jitter and the timing of the arrival of interrupts.

“Each entropy source operates with its own entropy rate and measurement,” Müller explained.
Müller added: “The LRNG only uses cryptographic operations for data processing: either a DRNG [digital random number generator] or hash for data compression. The LRNG allows updating of the cryptographic algorithms.

“The available cryptographic algorithms are all contemporary: SHA256 or SHA512 for conditioning, ChaCha20-DRNG, or SP800-90A DRBG. Yet, the LRNG offers a well-defined API allowing other cryptographic implementations to be defined.”
Click to expand...

The Linux Random Number Generator is actually a pseudo-random number generator derived from computing functions. Outputs from the generator are used to seed cryptographic algorithms and functions.
Click to expand...

guest · Nov 21, 2021

New Linux /dev/random RNG Revved For The 43rd Time
November 21, 2021
https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-LRNG-43rd

Going on for more than a half-decade now has been the effort around Linux Random Number Generator as a new /dev/random implementation for Linux. After more than five years, LRNG continues to work towards being mainlined and today marks the 43rd revision to these patches.

LRNG continues baking as a "production ready" implementation of /dev/random that follows different design changes from the existing kernel implementation. It is though a drop-in replacement with the same API/ABI.
Click to expand...

Lead LRNG developer Stephan Müller believes this implementation is superior to the status quo thanks to improvements to its crypto handling, better scalability with large parallel systems, up to 130% faster performance in the critical code path, a variety of other performance advantages, better tooling and testing, and a lot of configurable features.

The v43 patches to LRNG have improvements for handling if configured to have zero entropy, compression support for CPU entropy sources without full entropy, and various other fixes and low-level code improvements
Click to expand...

We'll see how much longer until if/when this new /dev/random implementation is ready for the mainline Linux kernel. The v43 patches can be found on the kernel mailing list.
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

New and improved Linux Random Number Generator (LRNG) – Proposed replacement for /dev/random

guest Guest

guest Guest

Log in or Sign up

New and improved Linux Random Number Generator (LRNG) – Proposed replacement for /dev/random

guest Guest

guest Guest

Useful Searches