What is Crypt::CFB?

Blowfish Cipher Tutorials - Herong's Tutorial Examples

∟What is Crypt::CFB?

A quick introduction is provided for the Crypt::CFB Perl module, which can be used to perform encryption and decryption in the CFB (Cipher FeedBack)) operation mode with a given block cipher for any number of blocks.

What Is Crypt::CFB? Crypt::CFB is a Perl module providing CFB (Cipher FeedBack) block cipher operation mode functionality. Crypt::CFB was developed by Kees Jan Hermans.

Here is the description of Crypt::CFB on the cpan.org Web site: "Generic CFB implementation in pure Perl. The Cipher Feedback Mode module constructs a stream cipher from a block cipher or cryptographic hash function and returns it as an object. Any block cipher in the Crypt:: class can be used, as long as it supports the blocksize and keysize methods. Any hash function in the Digest:: class can be used, as long as it supports the add method."

The above description does not mention Blowfish, but Crypt::CFB can be used together with Crypt::Blowfish to encrypt and decrypt messages with Blowfish algorithm in CFB operation mode.

In case you forgot how CFB (Cipher FeedBack) works, here a shortest version of the CFB algorithm:

Input:
   P: The plaintext in multiple blocks
   K: The secret key
   IV: The Initialization Vector
   E(K,B): The block encryption function 

Output:
   C: The ciphertext in multiple blocks

Algorithm - CFB (Cipher FeedBack) Operation Mode: 
   (P[1], P[2], P[3},...) = P    : Split plaintext into blocks

   C[1] = P[1] XOR E(K, IV)
   Loop i over 2,3,...
   Loop i over 2,3,...
      C[i] = P[i] XOR E(K, C[i-1])
   End Loop

   C = (C[1], C[2], C[3},...)    : Concatenate ciphertext blocks

The CBC algorithm can also be illustrated by this simple diagram:

Algorithm - CFB (Cipher FeedBack) Operation Mode: 

IV -----|        -----|        -----| 
      E(K)     /    E(K)     /    E(K)
        |     /       |     /       |
        |    /        |    /        | 
 P[1]--XOR  /  P[2]--XOR  /  P[3]--XOR
        |  /          |  /          | 
        | /           | /           | 
      C[1]          C[2]          C[3]

Crypt::CFB module offers the following main methods. Other methods will be discussed later as needed.

$c = Crypt::CFB->new($key, $module, $iv) - Returns a new Crypt::CFB cipher operation object with the following parameters:

$key - The encryption/decryption secret key. Value is required.
$module - The cipher module name, like "Crypt::Blowfish". Value is required.
$iv - The IV (Initialization Vector). Value is optional. If not provided, a string of zeroes is used as IV.

$c->encrypt($plaintext) - Returns the ciphertext for the given plaintext of any size, using the cipher module specified in the cipher operation object $c. It continues with the current cache, which remembers the cipher output of the previous encrypt() call or decrypt() call.

$c->decrypt($ciphertext) - Returns the plaintext for the given ciphertext of any size, using the cipher module specified in the cipher operation object $c. It continues with the current cache, which remembers the cipher output of the previous encrypt() call or decrypt() call.

$c->reset() - Resets the cipher operation object $c to the cache to initial state. reset() must be called before starting a new encryption or decryption process.

See Crypt::CFB Web page at cpan.org for more information.

Last update: 2015.

Table of Contents

About This Book

Blowfish Cipher Algorithm

Perl Crypt::Blowfish Module

Perl Crypt::ECB Perl Module

Perl Crypt::CBC Module

►Perl Crypt::CFB Perl Module

►What is Crypt::CFB?

Installing Crypt::CFB 0.02 with ActivePerl

Crypt::CFB with Default IV