RFC 9058 INFORMATIONAL CRYPTOGRAPHY · ENCRYPTION · GOST

Multilinear Galois Mode (MGM)

An authenticated encryption mode that works with the GOST block ciphers and with any other block cipher.

On rfc-editor.org ↗
PUBLISHED
June 2021
AUTHORS
S. Smyshlyaev, V. Nozdrunov, V. Shishkin, E. Griboedova
STREAM
INDEPENDENT
TAG LENGTH S
32 to n bits
BLOCK SIZES DEFINED
64-bit and 128-bit
FIELD POLYNOMIAL FOR A 64-BIT BLOCK
w^64 + w^4 + w^3 + w + 1
FIELD POLYNOMIAL FOR A 128-BIT BLOCK
w^128 + w^7 + w^2 + w + 1
LIMIT ON DATA PLUS ASSOCIATED DATA
0 < |A| + |P| < 2^(n/2)
DOI
10.17487/RFC9058

RFC text

Contents
Original text · RFC Editor View on rfc-editor.org ↗
Independent Submission                                S. Smyshlyaev, Ed.
Request for Comments: 9058                                     CryptoPro
Category: Informational                                     V. Nozdrunov
ISSN: 2070-1721                                              V. Shishkin
                                                                   TC 26
                                                           E. Griboedova
                                                               CryptoPro
                                                               June 2021


                     Multilinear Galois Mode (MGM)

Abstract

   Multilinear Galois Mode (MGM) is an Authenticated Encryption with
   Associated Data (AEAD) block cipher mode based on the Encrypt-then-
   MAC (EtM) principle.  MGM is defined for use with 64-bit and 128-bit
   block ciphers.

   MGM has been standardized in Russia.  It is used as an AEAD mode for
   the GOST block cipher algorithms in many protocols, e.g., TLS 1.3 and
   IPsec.  This document provides a reference for MGM to enable review
   of the mechanisms in use and to make MGM available for use with any
   block cipher.

Status of This Memo

   This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is
   published for informational purposes.

   This is a contribution to the RFC Series, independently of any other
   RFC stream.  The RFC Editor has chosen to publish this document at
   its discretion and makes no statement about its value for
   implementation or deployment.  Documents approved for publication by
   the RFC Editor are not candidates for any level of Internet Standard;
   see Section 2 of RFC 7841.

   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
   https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9058.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2021 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
   (https://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
   publication of this document.  Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
   to this document.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction
   2.  Conventions Used in This Document
   3.  Basic Terms and Definitions
   4.  Specification
     4.1.  MGM Encryption and Tag Generation Procedure
     4.2.  MGM Decryption and Tag Verification Check Procedure
   5.  Rationale
   6.  Security Considerations
   7.  IANA Considerations
   8.  References
     8.1.  Normative References
     8.2.  Informative References
   Appendix A.  Test Vectors
     A.1.  Test Vectors for the Kuznyechik Block Cipher
       A.1.1.  Example 1
       A.1.2.  Example 2
     A.2.  Test Vectors for the Magma Block Cipher
       A.2.1.  Example 1
       A.2.2.  Example 2
   Contributors
   Authors' Addresses

1.  Introduction

   Multilinear Galois Mode (MGM) is an Authenticated Encryption with
   Associated Data (AEAD) block cipher mode based on EtM principle.  MGM
   is defined for use with 64-bit and 128-bit block ciphers.  The MGM
   design principles can easily be applied to other block sizes.

   MGM has been standardized in Russia [AUTH-ENC-BLOCK-CIPHER].  It is
   used as an AEAD mode for the GOST block cipher algorithms in many
   protocols, e.g., TLS 1.3 and IPsec.  This document provides a
   reference for MGM to enable review of the mechanisms in use and to
   make MGM available for use with any block cipher.

   This document does not have IETF consensus and does not imply IETF
   support for MGM.

2.  Conventions Used in This Document

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
   BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.

3.  Basic Terms and Definitions

   This document uses the following terms and definitions for the sets
   and operations on the elements of these sets:

   V*        The set of all bit strings of a finite length (hereinafter
             referred to as strings), including the empty string;
             substrings and string components are enumerated from right
             to left starting from zero.

   V_s       The set of all bit strings of length s, where s is a non-
             negative integer.  For s = 0, the V_0 consists of a single
             empty string.

   |X|       The bit length of the bit string X (if X is an empty
             string, then |X| = 0).

   X || Y    Concatenation of strings X and Y both belonging to V*,
             i.e., a string from V_{|X|+|Y|}, where the left substring
             from V_{|X|} is equal to X, and the right substring from
             V_{|Y|} is equal to Y.

   a^s       The string in V_s that consists of s 'a' bits.

   (xor)     Exclusive-or of two bit strings of the same length.

   Z_{2^s}   Ring of residues modulo 2^s.

   MSB_i     V_s -> V_i

             The transformation that maps the string X = (x_{s-1}, ... ,
             x_0) in V_s into the string MSB_i(X) = (x_{s-1}, ... ,
             x_{s-i}) in V_i, i <= s (most significant bits).

   Int_s     V_s -> Z_{2^s}

             The transformation that maps the string X = (x_{s-1}, ... ,
             x_0) in V_s, s > 0, into the integer Int_s(X) = 2^{s-1} *
             x_{s-1} + ... + 2 * x_1 + x_0 (the interpretation of the
             bit string as an integer).

   Vec_s     Z_{2^s} -> V_s

             The transformation inverse to the mapping Int_s (the
             interpretation of an integer as a bit string).

   E_K       V_n -> V_n

             The block cipher permutation under the key K in V_k.

   k         The bit length of the block cipher key.

   n         The block size of the block cipher (in bits).

   len       V_s -> V_{n/2}

             The transformation that maps a string X in V_s, 0 <= s <=
             2^{n/2} - 1, into the string len(X) = Vec_{n/2}(|X|) in
             V_{n/2}, where n is the block size of the used block
             cipher.

   [+]       The addition operation in Z_{2^{n/2}}, where n is the block
             size of the used block cipher.

   (x)       The transformation that maps two strings, X = (x_{n-1}, ...
             , x_0) in V_n and Y = (y_{n-1}, ... , y_0), in V_n into the
             string Z = X (x) Y = (z_{n-1}, ... , z_0) in V_n; the
             string Z corresponds to the polynomial Z(w) = z_{n-1} *
             w^{n-1} + ... + z_1 * w + z_0, which is the result of
             multiplying the polynomials X(w) = x_{n-1} * w^{n-1} + ...
             + x_1 * w + x_0 and Y(w) = y_{n-1} * w^{n-1} + ... + y_1 *
             w + y_0 in the field GF(2^n), where n is the block size of
             the used block cipher; if n = 64, then the field polynomial
             is equal to f(w) = w^64 + w^4 + w^3 + w + 1; if n = 128,
             then the field polynomial is equal to f(w) = w^128 + w^7 +
             w^2 + w + 1.

   incr_l    V_n -> V_n

             The transformation that maps an n-byte string A = L || R
             into the n-byte string incr_l(A) = Vec_{n/2}(Int_{n/2}(L)
             [+] 1) || R, where L and R are n/2-byte strings.

   incr_r    V_n -> V_n

             The transformation that maps an n-byte string A = L || R
             into the n-byte string incr_r(A) = L ||
             Vec_{n/2}(Int_{n/2}(R) [+] 1), where L and R are n/2-byte
             strings.

4.  Specification

   An additional parameter that defines the functioning of MGM is the
   bit length S of the authentication tag, 32 <= S <= n.  The value of S
   MUST be fixed for a particular protocol.  The choice of the value S
   involves a trade-off between message expansion and the forgery
   probability.

4.1.  MGM Encryption and Tag Generation Procedure

   The MGM encryption and tag generation procedure takes the following
   parameters as inputs:

   1.  Encryption key K in V_k.

   2.  Initial counter nonce ICN in V_{n-1}.

   3.  Associated authenticated data A, 0 <= |A| < 2^{n/2}. If |A| > 0,
       then A = A_1 || ... || A*_h, A_j in V_n, for j = 1, ... , h - 1,
       A*_h in V_t, 1 <= t <= n.  If |A| = 0, then by definition A*_h is
       empty, and the h and t parameters are set as follows: h = 0, t =
       n.  The associated data is authenticated but is not encrypted.

   4.  Plaintext P, 0 <= |P| < 2^{n/2}. If |P| > 0, then P = P_1 ||
       ... || P*_q, P_i in V_n, for i = 1, ... , q - 1, P*_q in V_u, 1
       <= u <= n.  If |P| = 0, then by definition P*_q is empty, and the
       q and u parameters are set as follows: q = 0, u = n.

   The MGM encryption and tag generation procedure outputs the following
   parameters:

   1.  Initial counter nonce ICN.

   2.  Associated authenticated data A.

   3.  Ciphertext C in V_{|P|}.

   4.  Authentication tag T in V_S.

   The MGM encryption and tag generation procedure consists of the
   following steps:

      +----------------------------------------------------------------+
      |  MGM-Encrypt(K, ICN, A, P)                                     |
      |----------------------------------------------------------------|
      |  1. Encryption step:                                           |
      |      - if |P| = 0 then                                         |
      |            - C*_q = P*_q                                       |
      |            - C = P                                             |
      |      - else                                                    |
      |            - Y_1 = E_K(0^1 || ICN),                            |
      |            - For i = 2, 3, ... , q do                          |
      |                    Y_i = incr_r(Y_{i-1}),                      |
      |            - For i = 1, 2, ... , q - 1 do                      |
      |                    C_i = P_i (xor) E_K(Y_i),                   |
      |            - C*_q = P*_q (xor) MSB_u(E_K(Y_q)),                |
      |            - C = C_1 || ... || C*_q.                           |
      |                                                                |
      |  2. Padding step:                                              |
      |      - A_h = A*_h || 0^{n-t},                                  |
      |      - C_q = C*_q || 0^{n-u}.                                  |
      |                                                                |
      |  3. Authentication tag T generation step:                      |
      |      - Z_1 = E_K(1^1 || ICN),                                  |
      |      - sum = 0^n,                                              |
      |      - For i = 1, 2, ..., h do                                 |
      |              H_i = E_K(Z_i),                                   |
      |              sum = sum (xor) ( H_i (x) A_i ),                  |
      |              Z_{i+1} = incr_l(Z_i),                            |
      |      - For j = 1, 2, ..., q do                                 |
      |              H_{h+j} = E_K(Z_{h+j}),                           |
      |              sum = sum (xor) ( H_{h+j} (x) C_j ),              |
      |              Z_{h+j+1} = incr_l(Z_{h+j}),                      |
      |      - H_{h+q+1} = E_K(Z_{h+q+1}),                             |
      |      - T = MSB_S(E_K(sum (xor) ( H_{h+q+1} (x)                 |
      |                       ( len(A) || len(C) ) ))).                |
      |                                                                |
      |  4. Return (ICN, A, C, T).                                     |
      +----------------------------------------------------------------+

   The ICN value for each message that is encrypted under the given key
   K must be chosen in a unique manner.

   Users who do not wish to encrypt plaintext can provide a string P of
   zero length.  Users who do not wish to authenticate associated data
   can provide a string A of zero length.  The length of the associated
   data A and of the plaintext P MUST be such that 0 < |A| + |P| <
   2^{n/2}.

4.2.  MGM Decryption and Tag Verification Check Procedure

   The MGM decryption and tag verification procedure takes the following
   parameters as inputs:

   1.  Encryption key K in V_k.

   2.  Initial counter nonce ICN in V_{n-1}.

   3.  Associated authenticated data A, 0 <= |A| < 2^{n/2}. If |A| > 0,
       then A = A_1 || ... || A*_h, A_j in V_n, for j = 1, ... , h - 1,
       A*_h in V_t, 1 <= t <= n.  If |A| = 0, then by definition A*_h is
       empty, and the h and t parameters are set as follows: h = 0, t =
       n.  The associated data is authenticated but is not encrypted.

   4.  Ciphertext C, 0 <= |C| < 2^{n/2}. If |C| > 0, then C = C_1 ||
       ... || C*_q, C_i in V_n, for i = 1, ... , q - 1, C*_q in V_u, 1
       <= u <= n.  If |C| = 0, then by definition C*_q is empty, and the
       q and u parameters are set as follows: q = 0, u = n.

   5.  Authentication tag T in V_S.

   The MGM decryption and tag verification procedure outputs FAIL or the
   following parameters:

   1.  Associated authenticated data A.

   2.  Plaintext P in V_{|C|}.

   The MGM decryption and tag verification procedure consists of the
   following steps:

      +----------------------------------------------------------------+
      |  MGM-Decrypt(K, ICN, A, C, T)                                  |
      |----------------------------------------------------------------|
      |  1. Padding step:                                              |
      |      - A_h = A*_h || 0^{n-t},                                  |
      |      - C_q = C*_q || 0^{n-u}.                                  |
      |                                                                |
      |  2. Authentication tag T verification step:                    |
      |      - Z_1 = E_K(1^1 || ICN),                                  |
      |      - sum = 0^n,                                              |
      |      - For i = 1, 2, ..., h do                                 |
      |              H_i = E_K(Z_i),                                   |
      |              sum = sum (xor) ( H_i (x) A_i ),                  |
      |              Z_{i+1} = incr_l(Z_i),                            |
      |      - For j = 1,  2, ..., q do                                |
      |              H_{h+j} = E_K(Z_{h+j}),                           |
      |              sum = sum (xor) ( H_{h+j} (x) C_j ),              |
      |              Z_{h+j+1} = incr_l(Z_{h+j}),                      |
      |      - H_{h+q+1} = E_K(Z_{h+q+1}),                             |
      |      - T' = MSB_S(E_K(sum (xor) ( H_{h+q+1} (x)                |
      |                       ( len(A) || len(C) ) ))),                |
      |      - If T' != T then return FAIL.                            |
      |                                                                |
      |  3. Decryption step:                                           |
      |      - if |C| = 0 then                                         |
      |            - P = C                                             |
      |      - else                                                    |
      |            - Y_1 = E_K(0^1 || ICN),                            |
      |            - For i = 2, 3, ... , q do                          |
      |                    Y_i = incr_r(Y_{i-1}),                      |
      |            - For i = 1, 2, ... , q - 1 do                      |
      |                    P_i = C_i (xor) E_K(Y_i),                   |
      |            - P*_q = C*_q (xor) MSB_u(E_K(Y_q)),                |
      |            - P = P_1 || ... || P*_q.                           |
      |                                                                |
      |  4. Return (A, P).                                             |
      +----------------------------------------------------------------+

   The length of the associated data A and of the ciphertext C MUST be
   such that 0 < |A| + |C| < 2^{n/2}.

5.  Rationale

   MGM was originally proposed in [PDMODE].

   From the operational point of view, MGM is designed to be
   parallelizable, inverse free, and online and is also designed to
   provide availability of precomputations.

   Parallelizability of MGM is achieved due to its counter-type
   structure and the usage of the multilinear function for
   authentication.  Indeed, both encryption blocks E_K(Y_i) and
   authentication blocks H_i are produced in the counter mode manner,
   and the multilinear function determined by H_i is parallelizable in
   itself.  Additionally, the counter-type structure of the mode
   provides the inverse-free property.

   The online property means the possibility of processing messages even
   if it is not completely received (so its length is unknown).  To
   provide this property, MGM uses blocks E_K(Y_i) and H_i, which are
   produced based on two independent source blocks Y_i and Z_i.

   Availability of precomputations for MGM means the possibility of
   calculating H_i and E_K(Y_i) even before data is retrieved.  It holds
   again due to the usage of counters for calculating them.

6.  Security Considerations

   The security properties of MGM are based on the following:

   Different functions generating the counter values:
      The functions incr_r and incr_l are chosen to minimize
      intersection (if it happens) of counter values Y_i and Z_i.

   Encryption of the multilinear function output:
      It allows attacks based on padding and linear properties to be
      resisted (see [FERG05] for details).

   Multilinear function for authentication:
      It allows the small subgroup attacks to be resisted [SAAR12].

   Encryption of the nonces (0^1 || ICN) and (1^1 || ICN):
      The use of this encryption minimizes the number of plaintext/
      ciphertext pairs of blocks known to an adversary.  It prevents
      attacks that need a substantial amount of such material (e.g.,
      linear and differential cryptanalysis and side-channel attacks).

   It is crucial to the security of MGM to use unique ICN values.  Using
   the same ICN values for two different messages encrypted with the
   same key eliminates the security properties of this mode.

   It is crucial for the security of MGM not to process empty plaintext
   and empty associated data at the same time.  Otherwise, a tag becomes
   independent from a nonce value, leading to vulnerability to forgery
   attacks.

   Security analysis for MGM with E_K being a random permutation was
   performed in [SEC-MGM].  More precisely, the bounds for
   confidentiality advantage (CA) and integrity advantage (IA) (for
   details, see [AEAD-LIMITS]) were obtained.  According to these
   results, for an adversary making at most q encryption queries with
   the total length of plaintexts and associated data of at most s
   blocks, and allowed to output a forgery with the summary length of
   ciphertext and associated data of at most l blocks:

         CA <= ( 3( s + 4q )^2 )/ 2^n,

         IA <= ( 3( s + 4q + l + 3 )^2 )/ 2^n + 2/2^S,

   where n is the block size and S is the authentication tag size.

   These bounds can be used as guidelines on how to calculate
   confidentiality and integrity limits (for details, also see
   [AEAD-LIMITS]).

7.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no IANA actions.

8.  References

8.1.  Normative References

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

   [RFC7801]  Dolmatov, V., Ed., "GOST R 34.12-2015: Block Cipher
              "Kuznyechik"", RFC 7801, DOI 10.17487/RFC7801, March 2016,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7801>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

   [RFC8891]  Dolmatov, V., Ed. and D. Baryshkov, "GOST R 34.12-2015:
              Block Cipher "Magma"", RFC 8891, DOI 10.17487/RFC8891,
              September 2020, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8891>.

8.2.  Informative References

   [AEAD-LIMITS]
              Günther, F., Thomson, M., and C. A. Wood, "Usage Limits on
              AEAD Algorithms", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft, draft-
              irtf-cfrg-aead-limits-02, 22 February 2021,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-irtf-cfrg-
              aead-limits-02>.

   [AUTH-ENC-BLOCK-CIPHER]
              Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology,
              "Information technology. Cryptographic data security.
              Authenticated encryption block cipher operation modes", R
              1323565.1.026-2019, 2019.

   [FERG05]   Ferguson, N., "Authentication weaknesses in GCM", May
              2005.

   [GOST3412-2015]
              Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology,
              "Information technology. Cryptographic data security.
              Block ciphers", GOST R 34.12-2015, 2015.

   [PDMODE]   Nozdrunov, V., "Parallel and double block cipher mode of
              operation (PD-mode) for authenticated encryption", CTCrypt
              2017 proceedings, pp. 36-45, June 2017.

   [SAAR12]   Saarinen, M-J., "Cycling Attacks on GCM, GHASH and Other
              Polynomial MACs and Hashes", FSE 2012 proceedings, pp.
              216-225, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-34047-5_13, 2012,
              <https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34047-5_13>.

   [SEC-MGM]  Akhmetzyanova, L., Alekseev, E., Karpunin, G., and V.
              Nozdrunov, "Security of Multilinear Galois Mode (MGM)",
              IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive 2019, pp. 123, 2019.

Appendix A.  Test Vectors

A.1.  Test Vectors for the Kuznyechik Block Cipher

   Test vectors for the Kuznyechik block cipher (n = 128, k = 256) are
   defined in [GOST3412-2015] (the English version can be found in
   [RFC7801]).

A.1.1.  Example 1

   Encryption key K:
   00000:   88 99 AA BB CC DD EE FF 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77
   00010:   FE DC BA 98 76 54 32 10 01 23 45 67 89 AB CD EF

   ICN:
   00000:   11 22 33 44 55 66 77 00 FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88

   Associated authenticated data A:
   00000:   02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
   00010:   04 04 04 04 04 04 04 04 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03
   00020:   EA 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05

   Plaintext P:
   00000:   11 22 33 44 55 66 77 00 FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88
   00010:   00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99 AA BB CC EE FF 0A
   00020:   11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99 AA BB CC EE FF 0A 00
   00030:   22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99 AA BB CC EE FF 0A 00 11
   00040:   AA BB CC

   1.  Encryption step:

      0^1 || ICN:
      00000:   11 22 33 44 55 66 77 00 FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88

      Y_1:
      00000:   7F 67 9D 90 BE BC 24 30 5A 46 8D 42 B9 D4 ED CD
      E_K(Y_1):
      00000:   B8 57 48 C5 12 F3 19 90 AA 56 7E F1 53 35 DB 74

      Y_2:
      00000:   7F 67 9D 90 BE BC 24 30 5A 46 8D 42 B9 D4 ED CE
      E_K(Y_2):
      00000:   80 64 F0 12 6F AC 9B 2C 5B 6E AC 21 61 2F 94 33

      Y_3:
      00000:   7F 67 9D 90 BE BC 24 30 5A 46 8D 42 B9 D4 ED CF
      E_K(Y_3):
      00000:   58 58 82 1D 40 C0 CD 0D 0A C1 E6 C2 47 09 8F 1C

      Y_4:
      00000:   7F 67 9D 90 BE BC 24 30 5A 46 8D 42 B9 D4 ED D0
      E_K(Y_4):
      00000:   E4 3F 50 81 B5 8F 0B 49 01 2F 8E E8 6A CD 6D FA

      Y_5:
      00000:   7F 67 9D 90 BE BC 24 30 5A 46 8D 42 B9 D4 ED D1
      E_K(Y_5):
      00000:   86 CE 9E 2A 0A 12 25 E3 33 56 91 B2 0D 5A 33 48

      C:
      00000:   A9 75 7B 81 47 95 6E 90 55 B8 A3 3D E8 9F 42 FC
      00010:   80 75 D2 21 2B F9 FD 5B D3 F7 06 9A AD C1 6B 39
      00020:   49 7A B1 59 15 A6 BA 85 93 6B 5D 0E A9 F6 85 1C
      00030:   C6 0C 14 D4 D3 F8 83 D0 AB 94 42 06 95 C7 6D EB
      00040:   2C 75 52

   2.  Padding step:

      A_1 || ... || A_h:
      00000:   02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
      00010:   04 04 04 04 04 04 04 04 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03
      00020:   EA 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

      C_1 || ... || C_q:
      00000:   A9 75 7B 81 47 95 6E 90 55 B8 A3 3D E8 9F 42 FC
      00010:   80 75 D2 21 2B F9 FD 5B D3 F7 06 9A AD C1 6B 39
      00020:   49 7A B1 59 15 A6 BA 85 93 6B 5D 0E A9 F6 85 1C
      00030:   C6 0C 14 D4 D3 F8 83 D0 AB 94 42 06 95 C7 6D EB
      00040:   2C 75 52 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

   3.  Authentication tag T generation step:

      1^1 || ICN:
      00000:   91 22 33 44 55 66 77 00 FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88

      Z_1:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 02 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_1:
      00000:   8D B1 87 D6 53 83 0E A4 BC 44 64 76 95 2C 30 0B
      current sum:
      00000:   4C F4 27 F4 AD B7 5C F4 C0 DA 39 D5 AB 48 CF 38

      Z_2:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 03 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_2:
      00000:   7A 24 F7 26 30 E3 76 37 21 C8 F3 CD B1 DA 0E 31
      current sum:
      00000:   94 95 44 0E F6 24 A1 DD C6 F5 D9 77 28 50 C5 73

      Z_3:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 04 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_3:
      00000:   44 11 96 21 17 D2 06 35 C5 25 E0 A2 4D B4 B9 0A
      current sum:
      00000:   A4 9A 8C D8 A6 F2 74 23 DB 79 E4 4A B3 06 D9 42

      Z_4:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 05 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_4:
      00000:   D8 C9 62 3C 4D BF E8 14 CE 7C 1C 0C EA A9 59 DB
      current sum:
      00000:   09 FE 3F 6A 83 3C 21 B3 90 27 D0 20 6A 84 E1 5A

      Z_5:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 06 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_5:
      00000:   A5 E1 F1 95 33 3E 14 82 96 99 31 BF BE 6D FD 43
      current sum:
      00000:   B5 DA 26 BB 00 EB A8 04 35 D7 97 6B C6 B5 46 4D

      Z_6:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 07 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_6:
      00000:   B4 CA 80 8C AC CF B3 F9 17 24 E4 8A 2C 7E E9 D2
      current sum:
      00000:   DD 1C 0E EE F7 83 C8 EB 2A 33 F3 58 D7 23 0E E5

      Z_7:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 08 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_7:
      00000:   72 90 8F C0 74 E4 69 E8 90 1B D1 88 EA 91 C3 31
      current sum:
      00000:   89 6C E1 08 32 EB EA F9 06 9F 3F 73 76 59 4D 40

      Z_8:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 09 A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_8:
      00000:   23 CA 27 15 B0 2C 68 31 3B FD AC B3 9E 4D 0F B8
      current sum:
      00000:   99 1A F5 C9 D0 80 F7 63 87 FE 64 9E 7C 93 C6 42

      Z_9:
      00000:   7F C2 45 A8 58 6E 66 0A A7 BB DB 27 86 BD C6 6F
      H_9:
      00000:   BC BC E6 C4 1A A3 55 A4 14 88 62 BF 64 BD 83 0D
      len(A) || len(C):
      00000:   00 00 00 00 00 00 01 48 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 18
      sum (xor) ( H_9 (x) ( len(A) || len(C) ) ):
      00000:   C0 C7 22 DB 5E 0B D6 DB 25 76 73 83 3D 56 71 28


      Tag T:
      00000:   CF 5D 65 6F 40 C3 4F 5C 46 E8 BB 0E 29 FC DB 4C

A.1.2.  Example 2

   Encryption key K:
   00000:   99 AA BB CC DD EE FF 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 FE
   00010:   DC BA 98 76 54 32 10 01 23 45 67 89 AB CD EF 88

   ICN:
   00000:   11 22 33 44 55 66 77 00 FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88

   Associated authenticated data A:
   00000:   01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01

   Plaintext P:
   00000:

   1.  Encryption step:

      C:
      00000:

   2.  Padding step:

      A_1 || ... || A_h:
      00000:   01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01

      C_1 || ... || C_q:
      00000:

   3.  Authentication tag T generation step:

      1^1 || ICN:
      00000:   91 22 33 44 55 66 77 00 FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88

      Z_1:
      00000:   79 32 72 68 96 C4 3E 3F BF D6 50 89 EB F1 E5 B6
      H_1:
      00000:   99 3A 80 66 CC C0 A4 0F AC 4A 14 F7 A2 F6 6D 9B
      current sum:
      00000:   0A C1 1E 2C 1C D6 07 D8 2F E3 55 54 B4 01 02 81

      Z_2:
      00000:   79 32 72 68 96 C4 3E 40 BF D6 50 89 EB F1 E5 B6
      H_2:
      00000:   0C 38 A7 1E E7 93 BF 76 89 81 BF CD 7C DA 78 C8
      len(A) || len(C):
      00000:   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 80 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
      sum (xor) ( H_2 (x) ( len(A) || len(C) ) ):
      00000:   CA 1E F8 92 71 EA 60 C4 53 9E 40 EB 26 C2 80 5D

      Tag T:
      00000:   79 01 E9 EA 20 85 CD 24 7E D2 49 69 5F 9F 8A 85

A.2.  Test Vectors for the Magma Block Cipher

   Test vectors for the Magma block cipher (n = 64, k = 256) are defined
   in [GOST3412-2015] (the English version can be found in [RFC8891]).

A.2.1.  Example 1

   Encryption key K:
   00000:   FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88 77 66 55 44 33 22 11 00
   00010:   F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 FA FB FC FD FE FF

   ICN:
   00000:   12 DE F0 6B 3C 13 0A 59

   Associated authenticated data A:
   00000:   01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02
   00010:   03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 04 04 04 04 04 04 04 04
   00020:   05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 EA

   Plaintext P:
   00000:   FF EE DD CC BB AA 99 88 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 00
   00010:   88 99 AA BB CC EE FF 0A 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77
   00020:   99 AA BB CC EE FF 0A 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88
   00030:   AA BB CC EE FF 0A 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99
   00040:   AA BB CC

   1.  Encryption step:

      0^1 || ICN:
      00000:   12 DE F0 6B 3C 13 0A 59

      Y_1:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 BF
      E_K(Y_1):
      00000:   38 7B DB A0 E4 34 39 B3

      Y_2:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C0
      E_K(Y_2):
      00000:   94 33 00 06 10 F7 F2 AE

      Y_3:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C1
      E_K(Y_3):
      00000:   97 B7 AA 6D 73 C5 87 57

      Y_4:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C2
      E_K(Y_4):
      00000:   94 15 52 8B FF C9 E8 0A

      Y_5:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C3
      E_K(Y_5):
      00000:   03 F7 68 BF F1 82 D6 70

      Y_6:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C4
      E_K(Y_6):
      00000:   FD 05 F8 4E 9B 09 D2 FE

      Y_7:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C5
      E_K(Y_7):
      00000:   DA 4D 90 8A 95 B1 75 C4

      Y_8:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C6
      E_K(Y_8):
      00000:   65 99 73 96 DA C2 4B D7

      Y_9:
      00000:   56 23 89 01 62 DE 31 C7
      E_K(Y_9):
      00000:   A9 00 50 4A 14 8D EE 26

      C:
      00000:   C7 95 06 6C 5F 9E A0 3B 85 11 33 42 45 91 85 AE
      00010:   1F 2E 00 D6 BF 2B 78 5D 94 04 70 B8 BB 9C 8E 7D
      00020:   9A 5D D3 73 1F 7D DC 70 EC 27 CB 0A CE 6F A5 76
      00030:   70 F6 5C 64 6A BB 75 D5 47 AA 37 C3 BC B5 C3 4E
      00040:   03 BB 9C

   2.  Padding step:

      A_1 || ... || A_h:
      00000:   01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 02 02 02 02 02 02 02 02
      00010:   03 03 03 03 03 03 03 03 04 04 04 04 04 04 04 04
      00020:   05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 EA 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

      C_1 || ... || C_q:
      00000:   C7 95 06 6C 5F 9E A0 3B 85 11 33 42 45 91 85 AE
      00010:   1F 2E 00 D6 BF 2B 78 5D 94 04 70 B8 BB 9C 8E 7D
      00020:   9A 5D D3 73 1F 7D DC 70 EC 27 CB 0A CE 6F A5 76
      00030:   70 F6 5C 64 6A BB 75 D5 47 AA 37 C3 BC B5 C3 4E
      00040:   03 BB 9C 00 00 00 00 00

   3.  Authentication tag T generation step:

      1^1 || ICN:
      00000:   92 DE F0 6B 3C 13 0A 59

      Z_1:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 04 94 F3 72 A0
      H_1:
      00000:   70 8A 78 19 1C DD 22 AA
      current sum:
      00000:   D6 BB 5B EA 81 93 12 62

      Z_2:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 05 94 F3 72 A0
      H_2:
      00000:   6F 02 CC 46 4B 2F A0 A3
      current sum:
      00000:   DD 1C 82 4E 91 78 49 A5

      Z_3:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 06 94 F3 72 A0
      H_3:
      00000:   9F 81 F2 26 FD 19 6F 05
      current sum:
      00000:   05 89 22 17 F6 5A DA C7

      Z_4:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 07 94 F3 72 A0
      H_4:
      00000:   B9 C2 AC 9B E5 B5 DF F9
      current sum:
      00000:   D1 DB 9B 7F C4 9E 7C 97

      Z_5:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 08 94 F3 72 A0
      H_5:
      00000:   74 B5 EC 96 55 1B F8 88
      current sum:
      00000:   56 45 F6 B5 18 5C B7 1A

      Z_6:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 09 94 F3 72 A0
      H_6:
      00000:   7E B0 21 A4 03 5B 04 C3
      current sum:
      00000:   3F C2 C2 E6 FB EE D0 4D

      Z_7:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 0A 94 F3 72 A0
      H_7:
      00000:   C2 A9 C3 A8 70 4D 9B B0
      current sum:
      00000:   15 47 1F B5 CD 8E 6C 02

      Z_8:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 0B 94 F3 72 A0
      H_8:
      00000:   F5 D5 05 A8 7B 83 83 B5
      current sum:
      00000:   12 56 78 96 1D 40 E0 93

      Z_9:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 0C 94 F3 72 A0
      H_9:
      00000:   F7 95 E7 5F DE B8 93 3C
      current sum:
      00000:   6E F4 0A B0 C1 5F 20 48

      Z_10:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 0D 94 F3 72 A0
      H_10:
      00000:   65 A1 A3 E6 80 F0 81 45
      current sum:
      00000:   A4 64 A7 08 FF 45 14 22

      Z_11:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 0E 94 F3 72 A0
      H_11:
      00000:   1C 74 A5 76 4C B0 D5 95
      current sum:
      00000:   60 94 4E 05 D0 85 75 14

      Z_12:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 0F 94 F3 72 A0
      H_12:
      00000:   DC 84 47 A5 14 E7 83 E7
      current sum:
      00000:   EE 98 B9 B5 0F F7 83 E8

      Z_13:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 10 94 F3 72 A0
      H_13:
      00000:   A7 E3 AF E0 04 EE 16 E3
      current sum:
      00000:   C0 39 0F A2 28 AF 6D CB

      Z_14:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 11 94 F3 72 A0
      H_14:
      00000:   A5 AA BB 0B 79 80 D0 71
      current sum:
      00000:   73 E0 6E 07 EF 37 CD CC

      Z_15:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 12 94 F3 72 A0
      H_15:
      00000:   6E 10 4C C9 33 52 5C 5D
      current sum:
      00000:   2F 40 69 0A EB 53 F5 39

      Z_16:
      00000:   2B 07 3F 13 94 F3 72 A0
      H_16:
      00000:   83 11 B6 02 4A A9 66 C1
      len(A) || len(C):
      00000:   00 00 01 48 00 00 02 18
      sum (xor) ( H_16 (x) ( len(A) || len(C) ) ):
      00000:   73 CE F4 4B AE 6B DB 61


      Tag T:
      00000:   A7 92 80 69 AA 10 FD 10

A.2.2.  Example 2

   Encryption key K:
   00000:   99 AA BB CC DD EE FF 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 FE
   00010:   DC BA 98 76 54 32 10 01 23 45 67 89 AB CD EF 88

   ICN:
   00000:   00 77 66 55 44 33 22 11

   Associated authenticated data A:
   00000:

   Plaintext P:
   00000:   22 33 44 55 66 77 00 FF

   1.  Encryption step:

      0^1 || ICN:
      00000:   00 77 66 55 44 33 22 11

      Y_1:
      00000:   5B 2A 7E 60 4F 9F BB 95
      E_K(Y_1):
      00000:   48 A6 A5 17 0D 52 9D B1

      C:
      00000:   6A 95 E1 42 6B 25 9D 4E

   2.  Padding step:

      A_1 || ... || A_h:
      00000:

      C_1 || ... || C_q:
      00000:   6A 95 E1 42 6B 25 9D 4E

   3.  Authentication tag T generation step:

      1^1 || ICN:
      00000:   80 77 66 55 44 33 22 11

      Z_1:
      00000:   59 73 54 78 7E 52 E6 EB
      H_1:
      00000:   EC E3 F9 DA 11 8C 7D 95
      current sum:
      00000:   25 D0 E4 20 7B 6B F6 3D

      Z_2:
      00000:   59 73 54 79 7E 52 E6 EB
      H_2:
      00000:   31 0C 0D AC C9 D0 4D 93
      len(A) || len(C):
      00000:   00 00 00 00 00 00 00 40
      sum (xor) ( H_2 (x) ( len(A) || len(C) ) ):
      00000:   66 D3 8F 12 0F 78 92 49


      Tag T:
      00000:   33 4E E2 70 45 0B EC 9E

Contributors

   Evgeny Alekseev
   CryptoPro

   Email: alekseev@cryptopro.ru


   Alexandra Babueva
   CryptoPro

   Email: babueva@cryptopro.ru


   Lilia Akhmetzyanova
   CryptoPro

   Email: lah@cryptopro.ru


   Grigory Marshalko
   TC 26

   Email: marshalko_gb@tc26.ru


   Vladimir Rudskoy
   TC 26

   Email: rudskoy_vi@tc26.ru


   Alexey Nesterenko
   National Research University Higher School of Economics

   Email: anesterenko@hse.ru


   Lidia Nikiforova
   CryptoPro

   Email: nikiforova@cryptopro.ru


Authors' Addresses

   Stanislav Smyshlyaev (editor)
   CryptoPro

   Phone: +7 (495) 995-48-20
   Email: svs@cryptopro.ru


   Vladislav Nozdrunov
   TC 26

   Email: nozdrunov_vi@tc26.ru


   Vasily Shishkin
   TC 26

   Email: shishkin_va@tc26.ru


   Ekaterina Griboedova
   CryptoPro

   Email: griboedovaekaterina@gmail.com

ISO Plain Language

On this page
PROBLEMSecure communication needs two things at once: the data must be unreadable to anyone else, and the receiver must be able to tell that nobody tampered with it. Doing both well needs a way of combining a block cipher with a message authentication code.
MECHANISMMGM encrypts the data in counter mode, like a stream cipher, and computes an authentication tag with a multilinear function over the Galois field. The tag covers the ciphertext, the associated data and the lengths of both.
STATUS TODAYThe mode was standardised in Russia and is used with the GOST ciphers in protocols such as TLS 1.3 and IPsec. This RFC is a reference so that the mechanism can be reviewed; it does not claim IETF consensus.

§1What MGM Is For

Multilinear Galois Mode (MGM) is a block cipher mode that provides authenticated encryption with associated data (AEAD), built on the Encrypt-then-MAC principle: the data is encrypted first, and the authentication tag is then computed over the ciphertext. It is defined for use with 64-bit and 128-bit block ciphers, and the design principles can be applied to other block sizes.

MGM was standardised in Russia. It is used as an AEAD mode with the GOST block ciphers in a number of protocols, among them TLS 1.3 and IPsec. This document is a reference, so that the mechanisms in use can be reviewed and so that MGM can be used with any block cipher.

The RFC is explicit about its standing: it does not have IETF consensus and does not imply IETF support for MGM.

MGM does two jobs in one. It hides the content of a message and it produces a short tag that lets the receiver prove the message was not changed on the way.

The RFC writes the method down so that cryptographers can check it and so that other block ciphers can use it.

§3The Notation Used

The specification is written in a compact notation, and the RFC defines it precisely. V* is the set of all bit strings of any finite length, including the empty one, and substrings are counted from the right starting at zero. V_s is the set of all bit strings of length s. |X| is the length of a string in bits, and X || Y is the two strings joined end to end. a^s is the string of s copies of the bit a, and (xor) is exclusive-or of two strings of the same length.

Three conversions move between bit strings and numbers. MSB_i takes the i most significant bits of a string. Int_s reads a string as a binary number, and Vec_s is its inverse, writing a number as a bit string.

E_K is the block cipher permutation under the key K. The letter k is the length of that key in bits and n is the block size in bits. len maps a string whose length is at most 2^(n/2) - 1 to the n/2-bit representation of that length, and [+] is addition modulo 2^(n/2).

Two operations do the real work. (x) is multiplication of two polynomials over the Galois field GF(2^n): a bit string is read as a polynomial with those bits as coefficients, the two polynomials are multiplied, and the result is read back as a bit string. The field is fixed by a polynomial, which is w^64 + w^4 + w^3 + w + 1 when n is 64 and w^128 + w^7 + w^2 + w + 1 when n is 128.

The last two are counters. incr_l splits a block into a left half and a right half and adds one to the left half, keeping the right half. incr_r does the opposite and increments the right half. Both are additions in Z_(2^(n/2)).

The specification uses symbols rather than words, so it is worth stating what the main ones mean. The important one is the multiplication: two blocks are treated as polynomials over a finite field and multiplied, which is the step that lets the authentication tag detect any change to the data.

§4.1Encrypting and Producing the Tag

One more parameter completes the definition: the bit length S of the authentication tag, where 32 <= S <= n. The value must be fixed for a given protocol, and choosing it trades message expansion against the probability of a successful forgery.

The encryption procedure takes four inputs: the encryption key K; an initial counter nonce (ICN) in V_(n-1); the associated authenticated data A, whose length is less than 2^(n/2) and which is authenticated but not encrypted; and the plaintext P, whose length is likewise less than 2^(n/2). Both A and P are split into blocks of n bits, with a possibly shorter last block. If A is empty then h is 0 and t is n; if P is empty then q is 0 and u is n.

The output is the ICN, the associated data, the ciphertext C and the authentication tag T of length S.

The procedure itself has four steps. The encryption step builds a counter block from the nonce, encrypts it to get Y_1, and increments the right half for each further block. Each full block of plaintext is exclusive-ored with the encryption of its counter block, and the last, possibly short, block uses only the leading bits of that encryption. The padding step pads the last block of associated data and the last block of ciphertext with zeroes to full blocks. The tag generation step runs a second counter, this time starting from a block built from the nonce and encrypting it to get Z_1. It multiplies each associated data block by the encryption of its counter value, exclusive-ors the results together, then does the same with the ciphertext blocks. Finally it multiplies one more counter value by the concatenation of the lengths of the associated data and the ciphertext, adds that to the running sum, encrypts the sum and takes the leading S bits as the tag. The procedure returns (ICN, A, C, T).

Two rules govern the inputs. The ICN must be chosen uniquely for every message encrypted under the same key. And the lengths of the associated data and the plaintext must satisfy 0 < |A| + |P| < 2^(n/2), so the two together are never empty and never exceed the limit.

Encryption works like a stream cipher: a counter is encrypted under the key and the result is combined with the data. The tag is built from a second counter and a multiplication over the finite field, so any change to the data changes the tag.

The nonce must never repeat under the same key, and the data cannot be completely empty.

THE MGM ENCRYPTION AND TAG GENERATION PROCEDURE (RFC 9058)
MGM-Encrypt(K, ICN, A, P)
1. Encryption step:
   - if |P| = 0 then
         - C*_q = P*_q
         - C = P
   - else
     - Y_1 = E_K(0^1 || ICN),
     - For i = 2, 3, ... , q do
           Y_i = incr_r(Y_{i-1}),
     - For i = 1, 2, ... , q - 1 do
           C_i = P_i (xor) E_K(Y_i),
     - C*_q = P*_q (xor) MSB_u(E_K(Y_q)),
     - C = C_1 || ... || C*_q.

2. Padding step:
   - A_h = A*_h || 0^{n-t},
   - C_q = C*_q || 0^{n-u}.

3. Authentication tag T generation step:
   - Z_1 = E_K(1^1 || ICN),
   - sum = 0^n,
   - For i = 1, 2, ..., h do
           H_i = E_K(Z_i),
           sum = sum (xor) ( H_i (x) A_i ),
           Z_{i+1} = incr_l(Z_i),
   - For j = 1, 2, ..., q do
           H_{h+j} = E_K(Z_{h+j}),
           sum = sum (xor) ( H_{h+j} (x) C_j ),
           Z_{h+j+1} = incr_l(Z_{h+j}),
   - H_{h+q+1} = E_K(Z_{h+q+1}),
   - T = MSB_S(E_K(sum (xor) ( H_{h+q+1} (x)
                    ( len(A) || len(C) ) ))).

4. Return (ICN, A, C, T).

§4.2Decrypting and Checking the Tag

The decryption procedure takes the key, the ICN, the associated data, the ciphertext and the received tag. It outputs either FAIL, or the associated data and the recovered plaintext.

It has four steps, and the order matters. The padding step comes first, padding the last block of associated data and the last block of ciphertext to full blocks, exactly as the sender did. The tag verification step then recomputes the tag in the same way the sender did, using the ciphertext rather than the plaintext. If the recomputed tag differs from the received one, the procedure returns FAIL and the plaintext is never produced. Only after that check passes does the decryption step run, which repeats the counter-mode encryption of the sender and exclusive-ors it with the ciphertext to recover the plaintext.

This order is the Encrypt-then-MAC principle in practice. The tag is checked over the ciphertext, so nothing is decrypted until the data has been shown to be untampered with. The length rule is the same as on the sending side: 0 < |A| + |C| < 2^(n/2).

The receiver works backwards, but it checks the tag before it decrypts anything. If the tag does not match, the message is rejected and no plain text is produced.

That order is the whole point of the design: bad data never reaches the application.

§5Why the Mode Is Shaped This Way

MGM was first proposed in a 2017 conference paper. Its design is driven by four operational properties.

It is parallelizable. Its structure is that of a counter, so the blocks E_K(Y_i) and the authentication blocks H_i are produced in counter mode, and the multilinear function itself can be evaluated in parallel.

It is inverse free. The sender never has to invert the block cipher, again because of the counter structure.

It is online, which means a message can be processed before its length is known. This works because the encryption blocks and the authentication blocks are derived from two independent source blocks, Y_i and Z_i.

It offers the availability of precomputations, meaning the values H_i and E_K(Y_i) can be calculated before any data arrives, again because the counters make them independent of the data.

Four practical goals shape the design. The work can be spread over several processors, the sender never has to run the cipher backwards, a message can be processed while it is still arriving, and the values can be worked out before the data turns up.

THE FOUR OPERATIONAL PROPERTIES OF MGM
  • ParallelizableEncryption and authentication blocks are produced in counter mode, and the multilinear function can be evaluated in parallel.
  • Inverse freeThe sender never has to invert the block cipher.
  • OnlineA message can be processed before its length is known, using two independent counter blocks.
  • PrecomputableThe values can be calculated before any data arrives.

§6Security Considerations

The RFC lists four properties that the security of MGM rests on.

The functions incr_r and incr_l are chosen so that the counter values Y_i and Z_i overlap as little as possible. The output of the multilinear function is encrypted, which resists attacks based on padding and on linear properties. The multilinear function itself is used for authentication, which resists the small subgroup attacks described in the literature. And the nonces (0^1 || ICN) and (1^1 || ICN) are encrypted, which minimises the number of plaintext and ciphertext pairs an adversary can obtain and so blocks attacks that need a lot of such material, including linear cryptanalysis, differential cryptanalysis and side-channel attacks.

Two rules are called crucial. The ICN values must be unique; using the same ICN for two different messages under the same key removes the security properties of the mode entirely. And empty plaintext and empty associated data must not be processed together, because the tag would then be independent of the nonce value, which opens the way to forgery attacks.

A security analysis exists for MGM when the block cipher is treated as a random permutation, and it gives bounds for the confidentiality advantage and the integrity advantage. For an adversary making at most q encryption queries over at most s blocks of plaintext and associated data, and allowed to produce a forgery over at most l blocks, the bounds are CA <= (3(s + 4q)^2) / 2^n and IA <= (3(s + 4q + l + 3)^2) / 2^n + 2/2^S, where n is the block size and S the tag size. The RFC says these bounds can be used as guidelines for calculating confidentiality and integrity limits.

Two mistakes break the scheme: reusing a nonce under the same key, and encrypting nothing at all with no extra context. Both are called out as crucial.

The RFC also gives the published bounds on how much an attacker can learn or forge, so that a protocol can pick a tag length and usage limits that match.

§7References

[RFC7801]RFC 7801Dolmatov, V., Ed., "GOST R 34.12-2015: Block Cipher 'Kuznyechik'", RFC 7801, March 2016.March 2016[RFC8891]RFC 8891Dolmatov, V., Ed. and D. Baryshkov, "GOST R 34.12-2015: Block Cipher 'Magma'", RFC 8891, September 2020.September 2020
[AEAD-LIMITS]Gunther, F., Thomson, M., and C. A. Wood, "Usage Limits on AEAD Algorithms", Internet-Draft, draft-irtf-cfrg-aead-limits-02, 22 February 2021.
[PDMODE]Nozdrunov, V., "Parallel and double block cipher mode of operation (PD-mode) for authenticated encryption", CTCrypt 2017 proceedings, pp. 36-45, June 2017.
[SEC-MGM]Akhmetzyanova, L., Alekseev, E., Karpunin, G., and V. Nozdrunov, "Security of Multilinear Galois Mode (MGM)", IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive 2019, pp. 123, 2019.