table of contents
other versions
- wheezy 1.0.1e-2+deb7u20
- jessie 1.0.1t-1+deb8u6
- jessie-backports 1.0.2k-1~bpo8+1
other sections
rand(3SSL) | OpenSSL | rand(3SSL) |
NAME¶
rand - pseudo-random number generatorSYNOPSIS¶
#include <openssl/rand.h> int RAND_set_rand_engine(ENGINE *engine); int RAND_bytes(unsigned char *buf, int num); int RAND_pseudo_bytes(unsigned char *buf, int num); void RAND_seed(const void *buf, int num); void RAND_add(const void *buf, int num, int entropy); int RAND_status(void); int RAND_load_file(const char *file, long max_bytes); int RAND_write_file(const char *file); const char *RAND_file_name(char *file, size_t num); int RAND_egd(const char *path); void RAND_set_rand_method(const RAND_METHOD *meth); const RAND_METHOD *RAND_get_rand_method(void); RAND_METHOD *RAND_SSLeay(void); void RAND_cleanup(void); /* For Win32 only */ void RAND_screen(void); int RAND_event(UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);
DESCRIPTION¶
Since the introduction of the ENGINE API, the recommended way of controlling default implementations is by using the ENGINE API functions. The default RAND_METHOD, as set by RAND_set_rand_method() and returned by RAND_get_rand_method(), is only used if no ENGINE has been set as the default "rand" implementation. Hence, these two functions are no longer the recommened way to control defaults. If an alternative RAND_METHOD implementation is being used (either set directly or as provided by an ENGINE module), then it is entirely responsible for the generation and management of a cryptographically secure PRNG stream. The mechanisms described below relate solely to the software PRNG implementation built in to OpenSSL and used by default. These functions implement a cryptographically secure pseudo-random number generator (PRNG). It is used by other library functions for example to generate random keys, and applications can use it when they need randomness. A cryptographic PRNG must be seeded with unpredictable data such as mouse movements or keys pressed at random by the user. This is described in RAND_add(3). Its state can be saved in a seed file (see RAND_load_file(3)) to avoid having to go through the seeding process whenever the application is started. RAND_bytes(3) describes how to obtain random data from the PRNG.INTERNALS¶
The RAND_SSLeay() method implements a PRNG based on a cryptographic hash function. The following description of its design is based on the SSLeay documentation: First up I will state the things I believe I need for a good RNG.- 1.
- A good hashing algorithm to mix things up and to convert the RNG 'state' to random numbers.
- 2.
- An initial source of random 'state'.
- 3.
- The state should be very large. If the RNG is being used to generate 4096 bit RSA keys, 2 2048 bit random strings are required (at a minimum). If your RNG state only has 128 bits, you are obviously limiting the search space to 128 bits, not 2048. I'm probably getting a little carried away on this last point but it does indicate that it may not be a bad idea to keep quite a lot of RNG state. It should be easier to break a cipher than guess the RNG seed data.
- 4.
- Any RNG seed data should influence all subsequent random numbers generated. This implies that any random seed data entered will have an influence on all subsequent random numbers generated.
- 5.
- When using data to seed the RNG state, the data used should not be extractable from the RNG state. I believe this should be a requirement because one possible source of 'secret' semi random data would be a private key or a password. This data must not be disclosed by either subsequent random numbers or a 'core' dump left by a program crash.
- 6.
- Given the same initial 'state', 2 systems should deviate in their RNG state (and hence the random numbers generated) over time if at all possible.
- 7.
- Given the random number output stream, it should not be possible to determine the RNG state or the next random number.
SEE ALSO¶
BN_rand(3), RAND_add(3), RAND_load_file(3), RAND_egd(3), RAND_bytes(3), RAND_set_rand_method(3), RAND_cleanup(3)2013-02-11 | 1.0.1e |