Generating random numbers for cryptographic modules using race conditions in GPU

Abstract

In modern cryptography, random numbers are widely used for generating encryption keys and establishing secure channels. Cryptographic modules generate pseudo random numbers using the initial value called 'seed'. Accordingly, the security of random numbers depends highly upon that of seed. Usually, seeds are obtained from physical or logical noises generated by mouse, keyboard, and thermal noise. In this paper, it will be shown that random numbers can be generated on GPUs. In fact, race conditions caused by simutaneous memory accesses enable GPUs to generate Gaussian noises which can be used as entropy sources for random number generator in cryptographic modules. After distillation processes, cryptographic random numbers can be extracted. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.