[Cryptography] Hohha quantum resistant end-to-end encryption protocol draft

[Peter Fairbrother]

On 15/11/18 13:10, Ismail Kizir wrote:
> Hohha Protocol is a quantum safe communication protocol.
> This is the techinal whitepaper draft of our Hohha Messenger which
> we'll publish soon with a MIT Licence.
> Any contribution and or comment will be appreciated.
> Link is a sharable link of a Google Docs document.
> 
> https://lnkd.in/gpPXW8n

Just had a quick look. It's a bit of a hodge-podge, isn't it. But 
there's worse:

1] The key renewal is worse than useless. If an existing key is not 
known to Alice, there is no reason to renew it - if it is known to 
Alice, she can deduce the new key. So it's useless.

It's worse than useless because it introduces complexity and attack 
surface. KISS. I don't know of an attack on that part of the protocol 
offhand, but why take the chance?


2] It uses an untested ?proprietary? roll-your-own algorithm. Ouch. Why 
not use something tested? Why allow an untested option, even as an option?


3] it can be forced back into using quantum-insecure DH. Ouch. Mallory 
will have fun...


4] it places too high a burden on the user. Users are clueless about 
security, that's our job, not theirs.


5] it relies on a trusted server.


So overall, it's a hodge-podge piece of cr#p, written by someone with no 
clue about protocol design.

Sorry about that. Nothing personal.

-- Peter Fairbrother.