From: fc@all.net (Dr. Frederick B. Cohen)
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 95 09:40:53 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Breaking RC4-40 for less
Message-ID: <9508171639.AA22016@all.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


Since messages sent with netscape are fairly standard for the first so
many bytes, why not make a 2^30 element table, store it on a few
gigabytes of disk space, use a hash table on the message, and find the
keys to one in every 1,000 messages about 1 time per second.  If this
code is being used to send millions of credit transactions per day, we
should be able decode thousands of credit card numbers per day for a
one-time cost of about $5,00.

The $10,000 estimate of the cost of computing time is far too high
for a production-based attack on the netscape codes.

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