Menu

  • Alerts
  • Incidents
  • News
  • APTs
  • Cyber Decoded
  • Cyber Hygiene
  • Cyber Review
  • Cyber Tips
  • Definitions
  • Malware
  • Threat Actors
  • Tutorials

Useful Tools

  • Password generator
  • Report an incident
  • Report to authorities
No Result
View All Result
CTF Hack Havoc
CyberMaterial
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
Hall of Hacks
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
No Result
View All Result
Hall of Hacks
CyberMaterial
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Bounty for NIST Elliptic Curve Seeds

October 10, 2023
Reading Time: 2 mins read
in News

A bounty of $12,288 has been announced for the person who can decipher the origins of the NIST elliptic curves seeds and uncover the English phrases that were hashed to create them.

Furthermore, this challenge was initiated by cryptography specialist Filippo Valsorda, with support from renowned figures in the cryptography and cybersecurity community, including experts from Johns Hopkins University, Chromium, and AWS. These seeds are crucial components in modern cryptography, used to generate cryptographic keys, and were created using information provided by the NSA in 1997.

While they are specified by their coefficients and random seed values, the mystery surrounding their exact origins has persisted, leading to speculation and concern within the cryptographic community.

In elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), seeds serve as initial inputs for encryption algorithms, generating secure cryptographic keysc. NIST elliptic curves, such as P-192, P-224, P-256, P-384, and P-521, are integral to modern cryptography but were generated using seeds provided by the NSA. Rumors and research have suggested that these seeds may be hashes of English sentences provided to Dr. Jerry Solinas by the NSA.

However, the exact methodology behind their creation remains unknown. Concerns have arisen within the cryptographic community, with some speculating that intentional weaknesses in these curves could compromise data security.

Solving this cryptographic puzzle not only carries historical significance but could also alleviate fears of hidden vulnerabilities and intentional weaknesses in NIST elliptic curves. The challenge offers both intrigue and importance, especially following Dr. Solinas’ passing. Filippo Valsorda believes that individuals with sufficient GPU power and passphrase brute-forcing experience could crack the presumed SHA-1 hashes to reveal the original sentences.

The bounty will be split between the first person to submit at least one pre-seed sentence and the first person to submit the complete package of five sentences, with the option to triple the award if donated to a 501(c)(3) charity.

Reference:
  • ANNOUNCING THE $12K NIST ELLIPTIC CURVES SEEDS BOUNTY
Tags: AWSChromiumcryptographyCyber NewsCyber News 2023CybersecurityEnglishFilippo ValsordaJohns Hopkins UniversityNISTOctober 2023
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Charon Ransomware Hits Middle East

ShinyHunters, Spider Join Forces

August 15, 2025
Charon Ransomware Hits Middle East

US Updates Sanctions on Garantex

August 15, 2025
Charon Ransomware Hits Middle East

Stolen Police Emails Sold for $40

August 15, 2025
DarkBit Ransomware Encryption Cracked

DarkBit Ransomware Encryption Cracked

August 14, 2025
DarkBit Ransomware Encryption Cracked

Google Sets Crypto App License Rules

August 14, 2025
DarkBit Ransomware Encryption Cracked

Ghana Nationals Extradited for Fraud

August 14, 2025

Latest Alerts

Zoom Patches Critical Windows Flaw

Charon Ransomware Hits Middle East

Hackers Use CrossC2 to Target Linux, macOS

WP Plugin Flaw Threatens 70K Sites

Android Malware Targets Banks

PS1Bot Malware Spreads via Ads

Subscribe to our newsletter

    Latest Incidents

    Hackers Leak Allianz Life Data

    Croatian Institute Hit by Ransomware

    Norway Dam Breached by Pro-Russian Hackers

    Manpower Breach Hits 140K People

    GUR Hacks Russian Security Vendor

    Dutch Cervical Study Breach Widens

    CyberMaterial Logo
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Jobs
    • Legal and Privacy Policy
    • Site Map

    © 2025 | CyberMaterial | All rights reserved

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In

    Add New Playlist

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Definitions
    • Malware
    • Cyber Tips
    • Tutorials
    • Advanced Persistent Threats
    • Threat Actors
    • Report an incident
    • Password Generator
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us

    Copyright © 2025 CyberMaterial