4 ms·
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if it's written in pure Go, wouldn't that make it susceptible to timing/power side channel attacks?
by bennettnate5 3y ago
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if it's written in pure Go, wouldn't that make it susceptible to timing/power side channel attacks?
- bennettnate5 3y ago> All critical operations are performed in constant time. Should have clicked all the way through links to the project docs--looks like they're keeping this in mind.
- e1g 3y agoJust for context, the OP (FiloSottile) was in charge of cryptography and security on the Go team until recently.
- FiloSottile 3y agoGo is as susceptible to timing side channels as C, if not less. (The difference being that while there is one major Go compiler, which usually does not go overboard with optimizations, when writing C you have to do increasingly complex tricks to defend against the compiler realizing what you are trying to do and replacing it with a more efficient variable-time branch.) This implementation was written to avoid any secret dependent code path. Power side channels, which require physical access, are indeed outside the threat model of Go.
- l33t7332273 3y agoIs there a language that is invulnerable to power side channel attacks? The idea seems nonsensical to me. As far timing attacks, what about Go makes it more susceptible to timing side channels than any other language?