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Researchers trace NIST elliptic-curve seeds to drand48 and a timestamp

words.filippo.io 5 min read Editor score 7/10

A team identified the NIST curve seeds as outputs of drand48 seeded with a time in 1997–98, resolving a long-running cryptographic puzzle. The result adds historical clarity around widely used cryptographic primitives.

What: - Researchers identified the NIST elliptic-curve seed-generation method: POSIX drand48, seeded with a Unix timestamp.
How: - The process generates 20-byte candidate seeds and tests each under ANSI X9.62, rejecting seeds that do not produce a valid curve.
Why it matters: - The result fills a gap in cryptographic history and reinforces confidence in the widely used NIST curves.

A timestamp seeds drand48, which generates candidate seeds checked under ANSI X9.62. Sketched from the article's own text.

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