Secure Programming Cookbook for C and C++

8.20. Providing Forward Secrecy in a Symmetric System

Problem

When using a series of (session) keys generated from a master secret, as described in the previous recipe, we want to limit the scope of a key compromise. That is, if a derived key is stolen, or even if the master key is stolen, we would like to ensure that no data encrypted by previous session keys can be read by attackers as a result of the compromise. If our system has such a property, it is said to have perfect forward secrecy .

Solution

Use a separate base secret for each entity in the system. For any given client, derive a new key called K1 from the base secret key, as described in Recipe 4.11. Then, after you’re sure that communicating parties have correctly agreed upon a key, derive another key from K1 in the exact same manner, calling it K2. Erase the base secret (on both the client and the server), replacing it with K1. Use K2 as the session key.

Discussion

In Recipe 4.11, we commented on how knowledge of a properly created derived key would give no information about any parent keys. We can take advantage of that fact to ensure that previous sessions are not affected if throwing away the base secret somehow compromises the current key, so that old session keys cannot be regenerated. The security depends on the cryptographically strong one-way property of the hash function used to generate the derived keys.

Tip

Remember that when deriving keys, every key derivation needs to include some kind of unique value that is ...