[Libre-soc-dev] gcc binutils sv cryptoprimitives etc

[Jacob Lifshay]

On Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 13:47 Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton <lkcl at lkcl.net>
wrote:

> On Tuesday, January 19, 2021, Jacob Lifshay <programmerjake at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> > I'm saying without data-independent execution time our cpu is 99.9%
> useless
> > for cryptography.
>
> it's an OoO Vector Engine.  it's deeply unsuited to constant time
> execution.  as in: *fundamentally* unsuited and 100% fully incompatible.
>  trying to claim otherwise is disingenuous and we will get into trouble if
> we try.


You're missing my point, which is that cryptography relies on
*data*-independent execution time, which is fully compatible with OoO
execution (ignoring power sidechannels here). Constant time (which is waay
more strict -- more strict than needed for cryptography) is not really
compatible with OoO as you say.

I'll explain more later, meeting now.

Jacob