Loophole in Windows Random Number Generator

Invisible Pink Unicorn writes "A security loophole in the pseudo-random number generator used by Windows was recently detailed in a paper presented by researchers at the University of Haifa. The team found a way to decipher how the number generator works, and thus compute previous and future encryption keys used by the computer, and eavesdrop on private communication. Their conclusion is that Microsoft needs to improve the way it encodes information. They recommend that Microsoft publish the code of their random number generators as well as of other elements of the Windows security system to enable computer security experts outside Microsoft to evaluate their effectiveness. Although they only checked Windows 2000, they assume that XP and Vista use similar random number generators and may also be vulnerable. The full text of the paper is available in PDF format."

Comments

Re:Hardware RNG

[$RANDOMLUSER]

Now why would you assume Microsoft would use the hardware RNG when they have thier own, much better, proprietary RNG available?

The Vista RNG

[Anonymous Coward]

Although they only checked Windows 2000, they assume that XP and Vista use similar random number generators and may also be vulnerable.

Your system must meet the requirements to be able to run the Windows Random Number Generator on Vista. Otherwise, you will need to use Windows Number Generator Basic. The only number WNGB can generate is 4.

Novell

[Anonymous Coward]

In other news, Miguel de Icaza said that he believes that the random number generator is a good idea. Linux should have one because Microsoft is going to win anyway, so linux would better be prepared if it doesn't want to be locked out of the future markets, and presented a beta version of the algorithm. Members of the GNOME foundation are participating in the standarization: ''it's better to provide our own insecure random number generator'' said ownen taylor.

Re:Huh?

[Mantaar]

From TFA:

Date: received 4 Nov 2007

Old indeed. 8 days. That's a lot, Microsoft might have already fixed it, you see, they fix things fast!

Fixed in Vista?

[adonoman]

http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/07/07/Security/default.aspx has the new API, including a RNG

that meets Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) for use with the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA). There's a lot I don't like about Vista, but for security researchers to "assume that XP and Vista use similar random number generators and may also be vulnerable" without a basic google search is a bit much!

Re:Fixed in Vista?

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually go further back;

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/security/topics/issues/fipseval.mspx?mfr=true

You'll note that Windows 2000 passed FIPS-140-1.

Re:Hardware RNG

[defnoz]

Now why would you assume Microsoft would use the hardware RNG when they have thier own, much better, proprietary RNG available?
After all, they spent so much time perfecting it in Excel 2007!

ob XKCD reference

[wren337]

http://xkcd.com/221/ // chosen by fair dice roll // guaranteed to be random

Does this mean...

[physicsphairy]

That it will be possible to predict what values Excel will give us in our spreadsheets?

Re:Where's the white noise generator?

[OrangeCowHide]

A white noise generator? Bah... What systems need are pop-o-matic bubbles with m * 2^n sided dice to generate m * n bits. It could even put a window up saying, "The entropy pool is depleted. Please press the pop-o-matic bubble to generate more."

That would be awesome

Re:Hardware RNG

[somersault]

Yeah because every time Windows is updated, it's a really high priority to write a new random number generator? XP is based off of 2000 even if Vista was meant to be a rewrite.

"Hey guys, I dont think the random number generator is random enough today - it came up with 2 prime numbers in a row! Anyone feel like taking a few days to rewrite it, test it, introduce a few bugs, document it, seal off the documentation to make sure nobody finds it, and go take it up to Steve? I hear he's out of chairs right now so it should be okay".

Is there a list of slots machines that run windows

[Joe The Dragon]

Is there a list of slots machines that run windows?

the number of affected users enbiggens the problem

[doti]

only tested Windows 2000, and not XP or Vista, both combined are far more used than 2000 Still, 2000 has more (desktop) users than Linux. By your logic, if there were a similar problem in Linux, it would be less of a problem?

Re:Hardware RNG

[Goaway]

What is this, "proof by sarcasm"?

Re:Hardware RNG

[somersault]

I prefer to call it Sarca'm's Razor

Re:Hardware RNG

[yukk]

What makes you think that MS has "Crypto programmers" ? I'm sure that part of development went something like this.
Okay, module 14537r Random Number Generator. Teams, who wants do do this ? No, it's not boring. Come on. Okay, draw straws. Jones, you win. Yes, sure you can get the intern to write it. You carry on with the Clippy enhancements.