rsync and md4

[David F. Ogren]

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> Look the point is that Ogren seems to think this is some sort of a
> minor technicality and that we can safely ignore it most of the
> time. Thats simply not prudent. Once you find that the key properties
> of your cryptographic hash have fallen and you have to be
> exceptionally careful about what you put through the hash lest an
> attacker somehow influence it, you've lost the game. MD5 is no longer
> trustworthy. I agree that one needn't run screaming in the streets,
> but Ogren made it sound as though this wasn't a matter of
> concern. Thats simply wrong. Saying that leads people to a completely
> incorrect conclusion.

And I told myself I wouldn't respond to this thread anymore.  Oh well.  I 
just don't want to be misinterpreted.

I never meant to imply (and don't think that I did), that the attacks 
against MD5 were insignificant.  As I said, I'm moving to SHA in any 
software I develop from now on.

What I said was the attacks were insignificant in the application being 
considered (rsync) and that MD5 was not completely broken.  Come on, all 
the guy wanted was a fast 128 bit checksum.

For example, I am still using PGP clearsigning which, of course, uses MD5. 
Dobbertin indicates that his attack cannot be used against me as long as I 
only sign messages that I create myself.  Yes, PGP would work better with 
SHA.  I'd be able to sign documents that others created with (more) 
certainty.  But that doesn't mean that I should stop using PGP.


P.S. I apologize to the list for flooding this list recently.  
Unfortunately, I took it a little too personally when Perry told me to 
"stop spewing inaccurate information" and to "quit posting".  It was late, 
and I let him bait me more than I ordinarily would.

Now I find myself running in circles trying to make sure that I've made 
myself clear and that no one else (other than Perry) is misintepreting what 
I'm saying.
- --
David F. Ogren                | 
ogren at concentric.net          | "A man without religion is like a fish
PGP Key ID: 0x6458EB29        |  without a bicycle"
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