Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2004/134

Secure and Efficient Masking of AES - A Mission Impossible?

Elisabeth Oswald and Stefan Mangard and Norbert Pramstaller

Abstract: This document discusses masking approaches with a special focus on the AES S-box. Firstly, we discuss previously presented masking schemes with respect to their security and implementation. We conclude that algorithmic countermeasures to secure the AES algorithm against side-channel attacks have not been resistant against all first-order side-channel attacks.

Secondly, we introduce a new masking countermeasure which is not only secure against first-order side-channel attacks, but which also leads to relatively small implementations compared to other masking schemes when implemented in dedicated hardware.

Category / Keywords: implementation / AES, implementation, side channel attacks

Date: received 4 Jun 2004

Contact author: Elisabeth Oswald at iaik tugraz at

Available formats: PDF | BibTeX Citation

Version: 20040604:121931 (All versions of this report)

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