{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:38:21Z","timestamp":1760146701668,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,27]],"date-time":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1732665600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology for Development (CYTED)","award":["red522RT0131"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["red522RT0131"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cryptography"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The RC4 cryptographic algorithm is the most extensively studied stream cipher of the past two decades. This extensive research has resulted in numerous publications, many of which identify various vulnerabilities. Although these vulnerabilities do not preclude the correct use of the algorithm, they complicate its practical implementation. In this paper, we present a novel weakness in the RC4 cipher. Our findings indicate that, for input keys exhibiting certain patterns, the parity of the values in the output permutation of the KSA can be determined with high probability from the parity of its position in the output permutation. Furthermore, the use of keys with these specific patterns leads to noticeable distortions in several bytes of the RC4 output.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cryptography8040054","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,27]],"date-time":"2024-11-27T08:17:42Z","timestamp":1732695462000},"page":"54","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["New Weak Keys with Parity Patterns in the RC4 Stream Cipher"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5004-2960","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evaristo Jos\u00e9","family":"Madarro-Cap\u00f3","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Criptograf\u00eda, Facultad de Matem\u00e1tica y Computaci\u00f3n, Universidad de la Habana, Habana 10400, Cuba"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6104-9671","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos Miguel","family":"Leg\u00f3n-P\u00e9rez\u00a0","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Criptograf\u00eda, Facultad de Matem\u00e1tica y Computaci\u00f3n, Universidad de la Habana, Habana 10400, Cuba"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7793-896X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guillermo","family":"Sosa-G\u00f3mez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias Econ\u00f3micas y Empresariales, Universidad Panamericana, \u00c1lvaro del Portillo 49, Zapopan 45010, Jalisco, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0681-3833","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Omar","family":"Rojas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ciencias Econ\u00f3micas y Empresariales, Universidad Panamericana, \u00c1lvaro del Portillo 49, Zapopan 45010, Jalisco, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"7","article-title":"The principles and practice of cryptography and network security 7th edition, isbn-10: 0134444280","volume":"20","author":"Stallings","year":"2017","journal-title":"Pearson Educ."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kuznetsov, A.A., Potii, O.V., Poluyanenko, N.A., Gorbenko, Y.I., and Kryvinska, N. (2022). Stream Ciphers in Modern Real-Time IT Systems: Analysis, Design and Comparative Studies, Springer International Publishing. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-79770-6"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131101","DOI":"10.1007\/s11432-018-9929-x","article-title":"Stream cipher designs: A review","volume":"63","author":"Jiao","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. China Inf. Sci."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shyaa, G.S., and Al-Zubaidie, M. (2023). Utilizing Trusted Lightweight Ciphers to Support Electronic-Commerce Transaction Cryptography. Appl. Sci., 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/app13127085"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gupta, K., Gupta, D., Prasad, S.K., and Johri, P. (2021, January 4\u20135). A Review on Cryptography based Data Security Techniques for the Cloud Computing. Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Advance Computing and Innovative Technologies in Engineering (ICACITE), Noida, India.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICACITE51222.2021.9404568"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ramesh, D., Mishra, R., and Nayak, B.S. (2016, January 4\u20135). Cha-Cha 20: Stream Cipher Based Encryption for Cloud Data Centre. Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Information and Communication Technology for Competitive Strategies, Udaipur, India.","DOI":"10.1145\/2905055.2905098"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, S., Jin, Z., and Li, Y. (2024, January 2\u20135). Research on Efficient Stream Cipher Design in Big Data Environment. Proceedings of the 2024 16th International Conference on Machine Learning and Computing, Shenzhen, China.","DOI":"10.1145\/3651671.3651754"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4637876","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/4637876","article-title":"Novel Stream Ciphering Algorithm for Big Data Images Using Zeckendorf Representation","volume":"2021","author":"Wu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Wirel. Commun. Mob. Comput."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhang, L., and Pan, G. (2022, January 21\u201323). Research on the Secure Communication Model of Instant Messaging. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Science and Application Engineering, Virtual Event.","DOI":"10.1145\/3565387.3565412"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Li, C., Chen, J., Wang, L., and Shu, Y. (2023, January 16\u201318). Design of ZUC-256 Stream Cipher Coprocessor for 5G Communication Security. Proceedings of the 2023 3rd International Symposium on Computer Technology and Information Science (ISCTIS), Chengdu, China.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISCTIS58954.2023.10213094"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30689","DOI":"10.1007\/s11042-023-14517-8","article-title":"Efficient selective chaotic video stream cipher for SHVC bitstream","volume":"82","author":"Faragallah","year":"2023","journal-title":"Multimed. Tools Appl."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Achar, S.D., C, S.S., P, T., and Nandi, S. (2023, January 23\u201325). Secure Video Streaming Techniques: A Performance Overview. Proceedings of the 2023 IEEE Guwahati Subsection Conference (GCON), Guwahati, India.","DOI":"10.1109\/GCON58516.2023.10183567"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kumar, P.K., and Mondal, B. (2023, January 29\u201330). Lightweight Stream Cipher for Health Care IoT. Proceedings of the 2023 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Industrial Electronics: Developments & Applications (ICIDeA), Imphal, India.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICIDeA59866.2023.10295196"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Paul, G., and Maitra, S. (2011). RC4 Stream Cipher and Its Variants, CRC Press.","DOI":"10.1201\/b11310"},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"(2024, November 20). Supported Load Balancer Ciphers. Available online: https:\/\/docs.oracle.com\/en-us\/iaas\/Content\/Balance\/Tasks\/managingciphersuites_topic-Supported_Ciphers.htm."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"(2024, November 20). [MS-SAMR]: RC4 Cipher Usage. Available online: https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/openspecs\/windows_protocols\/ms-samr\/5fe3c4c4-e71b-440d-b2fd-8448bfaf6e04."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"(2024, November 20). Database Advanced Security Administrator\u2019s Guide. Available online: https:\/\/docs.oracle.com\/cd\/B28359_01\/network.111\/b28530\/asoconfg.htm#BBJBIECD."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"022080","DOI":"10.1088\/1742-6596\/1569\/2\/022080","article-title":"Implementation of RC4 Cryptography Algorithm for Data File Security","volume":"1569","author":"Doni","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Phys. Conf. Ser."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hanchinamani, G., G, N.D., and Savakknavar, R. (October, January 29). Design of S-Box Based on Chao Initialized RC4. Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics (ICCCI), Rhodes, Greece.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICCCI50826.2021.9402351"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"462","DOI":"10.1007\/s42979-021-00834-y","article-title":"Securing Digital Images using Stream Cipher and MDS Matrix","volume":"2","author":"Gaffar","year":"2021","journal-title":"SN Comput. Sci."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e5287","DOI":"10.1002\/cpe.5287","article-title":"Area-efficient and high-speed hardware structure of hybrid cryptosystem (AES-RC4) for maximizing key lifetime using parallel subpipeline architecture","volume":"33","author":"Maniam","year":"2021","journal-title":"Concurr. Comput. Pract. Exp."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Munir, R. (2023, January 2\u20133). An Improved RC4 Algorithm Based on Multi Chaotic Map for Image Encryption. Proceedings of the 2023 IEEE 8th International Conference on Recent Advances and Innovations in Engineering (ICRAIE), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICRAIE59459.2023.10468437"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Noura, H., Salman, O., Chehab, A., and Couturier, R. (2020, January 7\u201310). Efficient and Secure Keyed Hash Function Scheme Based on RC4 Stream Cipher. Proceedings of the 2020 IEEE Symposium on Computers and Communications (ISCC), Rennes, France.","DOI":"10.1109\/ISCC50000.2020.9219737"},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"89","article-title":"Cryptography using Random Rc4 Stream Cipher on SMS for Android-Based Smartphones","volume":"9","author":"Rifki","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Adv. Comput. Sci. Appl."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2350002","DOI":"10.1142\/S2972370123500022","article-title":"Parallel Implementation of RC4 Data Encryption Method for Cloud Computing","volume":"01","author":"Ullah","year":"2023","journal-title":"Comput. Open"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5980","DOI":"10.1002\/cta.3769","article-title":"A high-speed and low-latency hardware implementation of RC4 cryptographic algorithm","volume":"51","author":"Sun","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Circuit Theory Appl."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Khovayko, O., and Schelkunov, D. (2024, November 20). RC4OK. An Improvement of the RC4 Stream Cipher. (Cryptology ePrint Archive, Paper 2023\/1486,2023). Available online: https:\/\/eprint.iacr.org\/2023\/1486."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1007\/s13319-018-0162-2","article-title":"A Novel Image Encryption Scheme Based on Intertwining Chaotic Maps and RC4 Stream Cipher","volume":"9","author":"Kumari","year":"2018","journal-title":"3D Res."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"456","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procs.2021.02.084","article-title":"A new form of initialization vectors in the FMS attack of RC4 in WEP","volume":"183","author":"Guo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Procedia Comput. Sci."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dunkelman, O. (2009). Key Collisions of the RC4 Stream Cipher. Fast Software Encryption, Springer. Lecture Notes in Computer Science.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-03317-9"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vaudenay, S., and Youssef, A.M. (2001). Weaknesses in the Key Scheduling Algorithm of RC4. Selected Areas in Cryptography, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/3-540-45537-X"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1587\/transfun.E94.A.10","article-title":"Generalized classes of weak keys on RC4 using predictive state","volume":"94","author":"Teramura","year":"2011","journal-title":"IEICE Trans. Fundam. Electron. Commun. Comput. Sci."},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"357","article-title":"Expanding Weak-key Space of RC4","volume":"22","author":"Nagao","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Inf. Process."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1515\/jmc-2016-0061","article-title":"Generalization of Roos bias in RC4 and some results on key-keystream relations","volume":"12","author":"Dey","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Math. Cryptol."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"222","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-38553-7_13","article-title":"New Results on Generalization of Roos-Type Biases and Related Keystreams of RC4","volume":"Volume 7918","author":"Hutchison","year":"2013","journal-title":"Progress in Cryptology\u2014AFRICACRYPT 2013"},{"key":"ref_36","unstructured":"Sarkar, S., and Venkateswarlu, A. (2015, January 13\u201317). Revisiting Roos Bias in RC4 Key Scheduling Algorithm. Proceedings of the WCC2015-9th International Workshop on Coding and Cryptography 2015, Paris, France."},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"Pudovkina, M. (2024, November 20). The Number of Initial States of the RC4 Cipher with the Same Cycle Structure. (Cryptology ePrint Archive, Paper 2003\/012,2003). Available online: https:\/\/eprint.iacr.org\/2003\/012."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1007\/3-540-45708-9_20","article-title":"(Not So) Random Shuffles of RC4","volume":"Volume 2442","author":"Goos","year":"2002","journal-title":"Advances in Cryptology \u2014 CRYPTO 2002"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Peyrin, T. (2016). Cryptanalysis of the Full Spritz Stream Cipher. Fast Software Encryption, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-662-52993-5"},{"key":"ref_40","unstructured":"Ghita, B., and Shiaeles, S. (2021). RC4D: A New Development of RC4 Encryption Algorithm. Selected Papers from the 12th International Networking Conference, Springer International Publishing."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Madarro-Cap\u00f3, E.J., Leg\u00f3n-P\u00e9rez, C.M., Rojas, O., and Sosa-G\u00f3mez, G. (2021). Measuring Avalanche Properties on RC4 Stream Cipher Variants. Appl. Sci., 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/app11209646"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"367","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-13-1906-8_38","article-title":"Modified RC4 Variants and Their Performance Analysis","volume":"Volume 521","author":"Panda","year":"2019","journal-title":"Microelectronics, Electromagnetics and Telecommunications"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1007\/s11042-016-4253-x","article-title":"Information hiding in edges: A high capacity information hiding technique using hybrid edge detection","volume":"77","author":"Parah","year":"2018","journal-title":"Multimed. Tools Appl."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"465","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-15-3992-3_39","article-title":"Performance Analysis of Security Algorithms","volume":"Volume 656","author":"Jayakumari","year":"2020","journal-title":"Advances in Communication Systems and Networks"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cap\u00f3, E.J.M., Cuellar, O.J., P\u00e9rez, C.M.L., and G\u00f3mez, G.S. (2016, January 12\u201314). Evaluation of input\u2014Output statistical dependence PRNGs by SAC. Proceedings of the 2016 International Conference on Software Process Improvement (CIMPS), Aguascalientes, Mexico.","DOI":"10.1109\/CIMPS.2016.7802810"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Madarro-Cap\u00f3, E.J., Leg\u00f3n-P\u00e9rez, C.M., Rojas, O., Sosa-G\u00f3mez, G., and Socorro-Llanes, R. (2020). Bit Independence Criterion Extended to Stream Ciphers. Appl. Sci., 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/app10217668"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"308","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-13-2372-0_27","article-title":"Secure Portable Storage Drive: Secure Information Storage","volume":"Volume 839","author":"Verma","year":"2019","journal-title":"Communication, Networks and Computing"},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nita, S.L., Mihailescu, M.I., and Pau, V.C. (2018). Security and Cryptographic Challenges for Authentication Based on Biometrics Data. Cryptography, 2.","DOI":"10.20944\/preprints201810.0618.v1"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-13-2372-0_14","article-title":"Effective Data Storage Security with Efficient Computing in Cloud","volume":"Volume 839","author":"Verma","year":"2019","journal-title":"Communication, Networks and Computing"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-33491-8_40","article-title":"Possible Modifications of RC4 Stream Cipher","volume":"Volume 80","author":"Misyurin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Advanced Technologies in Robotics and Intelligent Systems"},{"key":"ref_51","unstructured":"Knuth, D.E. (1969). The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 2: Seminumerical Algorithms, Addison-Wesley Professional."},{"key":"ref_52","unstructured":"Str\u00f6mbergson, J., and Josefsson, S. (2024, November 20). The Perils of Repeating Patterns: Observation of Some Weak Keys in RC4. (Cryptology ePrint Archive, Paper 2013\/241,2013). Available online: https:\/\/eprint.iacr.org\/2013\/241."},{"key":"ref_53","unstructured":"Roos, A. (2024, November 20). A Class of Weak Keys in the RC4 Stream Cipher. Vironix Software Laboratories. Available online: http:\/\/agreg.dnsalias.org\/Luminy\/WeakKeys-report.pdf."},{"key":"ref_54","unstructured":"Walpole, R.E., Myers, R.H., Myers, S.L., and Ye, K. (1993). Probability and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists, Macmillan."}],"container-title":["Cryptography"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2410-387X\/8\/4\/54\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T16:40:41Z","timestamp":1760114441000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2410-387X\/8\/4\/54"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,27]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]}},"alternative-id":["cryptography8040054"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/cryptography8040054","relation":{},"ISSN":["2410-387X"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2410-387X"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,27]]}}}