Electronic codebook mode
Electronic Codebook mode is a block-cipher mode that encrypts each plaintext block independently with the same key.
Software Security for Developers
Electronic Codebook mode, or ECB mode, is a block-cipher mode that encrypts each plaintext block independently with the same key.
- How it is used
- Explains how AES handles data larger than one block and why ECB is unsuitable for application encryption.
- How deep it goes
- Defines independent block processing, demonstrates pattern leakage, and stops short of mathematical internals.
- Examples
- Uses repeated HTTP success-response blocks to demonstrate pattern recognition and ciphertext substitution.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate ciphertext for repeated-block leakage and choose authenticated encryption instead of ECB.
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Hacking Cryptography
Electronic codebook is a block cipher mode that encrypts each block independently with the same key.
- How it is used
- Explains how block ciphers handle multiple blocks and why independent encryption leaks plaintext patterns.
- How deep it goes
- Defines independent block processing and demonstrates its visual consequence, but does not detail a code-level implementation.
- Examples
- Uses repeated plaintext blocks and the recognizable ECB-encrypted penguin image to expose structural leakage.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate encryption designs by recognizing ECB pattern leakage and selecting a mode with per-message variability.
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Real-World Cryptography
Electronic codebook mode encrypts each plaintext block independently with the same block-cipher key.
- How it is used
- Explains why independently encrypting message blocks can leak structure and why safer modes are needed for longer plaintexts.
- How deep it goes
- Defines block-by-block encryption and its deterministic leakage, but stops short of implementation details or a complete encryption procedure.
- Examples
- Uses the encrypted penguin image to make repeated ciphertext patterns visibly reveal plaintext structure.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate whether block-encryption output leaks repeated patterns and recognize when a different mode is required.
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Related concepts
- mode of operationkind of · A block cipher mode of operation is a method for applying a block cipher to messages consisting of one or more blocks.
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