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TLS-ECDH-RSA-WITH-NULL-SHA Cipher Suite
A breakdown of the Cipher Suite TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_NULL_SHA, its strengths, and its weaknesses.
Key Exchange Mechanism
Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman - ECDH
Grade - B
Static Elliptic Curve Diffie Hellman (ECDH) does not use ephemeral (temporary) keys, meaning it violates perfect forward secrecy. ECDHE should be used in preference.
Authentication
Rivest, Shamir, Adleman - RSA
Grade - A
RSA as an authentication mechanism in cipher suites is secure because it relies on the difficulty of factoring large prime numbers. This makes it computationally infeasible for attackers to derive the private key from the public key, ensuring confidentiality and integrity in secure communications.
Cipher
Null Cipher - NULL
Grade - F
Null encryption ciphers are bad because they provide no encryption, leaving data transmitted over the network completely unprotected. This means that any information sent, such as passwords, personal details, or confidential messages, can be easily intercepted and read by anyone with access to the network traffic. Without encryption, the confidentiality and integrity of the data are compromised, making it highly vulnerable to eavesdropping, tampering, and unauthorized access. In essence, using Null encryption defeats the primary purpose of secure communication protocols, which is to safeguard data from potential threats.
Hash
Null Hash - NULL
Grade - F
Null hashes are bad in cipher suites because they provide no integrity protection, making the communication vulnerable to undetected tampering or data corruption. This compromises the security by allowing potential attackers to alter messages without detection, undermining the confidentiality and trustworthiness of the communication.Null hashes are bad because they provide no integrity checks, leaving data transmitted over the network completely unprotected. This means that any information sent, such as passwords, personal details, or confidential messages, can be easily intercepted and read by anyone with access to the network traffic. Without encryption, the confidentiality and integrity of the data are compromised, making it highly vulnerable to eavesdropping, tampering, and unauthorized access. In essence, using Null encryption defeats the primary purpose of secure communication protocols, which is to safeguard data from potential threats.
