Continue Using NIST Curves: Anthropic Confirms 1997 Timestamps, Not Secrets, Generated Seeds
An internal Claude model reconstructed the generation method for five standard elliptic curve seeds, showing they derive from 1997 Unix timestamps rather than secret passphrases.
Key points
- Anthropic’s Claude AI identified that five NIST elliptic curve seeds were generated using a standard C pseudorandom number generator.
- The reconstruction shows the generator was initialized with Unix timestamps from mid-1997 to early 1998, not hidden passphrases.
- Anthropic states this is a historical finding with no new cryptographic attacks or reasons to change current deployments.
The National Security Agency’s generation of seeds for five widely used NIST elliptic curves has been explained by an internal research model from Anthropic. The finding resolves a twenty-five-year mystery regarding the origin of these public parameters, which support digital signature standards. The work involves the mathematical constants used to define curve structures, not private keys or sensitive secrets held by users or organizations.
Root cause
Anthropic’s October 16 report details how the Claude model analyzed programming patterns common in 1990s C libraries. It identified that the seeds were produced by `lrand48`, a linear congruential generator with a 48-bit internal state. This generator was initialized using Unix timestamps, specifically dates ranging from May 1997 to April 1998. This contradicts earlier theories that the seeds originated from humorous phrases or secret passphrases associated with NSA mathematician Jerry Solinas.
Attack path
The reconstruction process did not involve breaking encryption or exploiting a vulnerability. Instead, the AI scanned published seeds against 34 combinations of generator outputs and slices. It found that binary-curve seeds contained 32-bit words with consistently zero highest bits, matching the 31-bit output of `lrand48`. By enumerating hidden state bits and using the Lenstra–Lenstra–Lovász lattice basis reduction algorithm, the model recovered the internal generator states that reproduced the standardized seeds for curves including P-256 and P-384.
Affected versions
The findings apply to the seed values used in the following NIST elliptic curves defined in FIPS 186-2:
- P-192
- P-224
- P-256
- P-384
- P-521
The reconstruction also covered five ANSI X9.62 example seeds. These are public parameters, not software versions or private keys.
Mitigation
- No immediate action is required, as Anthropic reports no cryptographic break or new attack vector.
- Continue using standard elliptic curve implementations as currently deployed.
- Monitor official channels from NIST or Anthropic for any future guidance on curve usage.
- Maintain standard security hygiene for systems using ECDSA digital signatures.
For customers and users
Organizations should verify that their systems rely on standard, well-vetted cryptographic libraries rather than custom implementations. Teams usually audit their certificate management processes to ensure keys are generated securely. Users should remain vigilant against phishing attempts that might exploit this news to trick employees into revealing credentials. Check whether internal documentation references these specific curve parameters and confirm that no sensitive data is being processed with non-standard or unverified cryptographic routines.
What to do and how to stay safe: Anthropic
- Review your organization's cryptographic standards to ensure they align with current NIST recommendations.
- Verify that your security teams are using updated, maintained libraries for elliptic curve operations.
- Monitor official vendor announcements for any changes to deployment guidance regarding these curves.
- Educate staff on recognizing social engineering attempts related to recent cryptographic news.
Step-by-step guide: Passkeys Explained: How Passwordless Login Actually Works
General security guidance from the DarkWeb Headlines newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean my encrypted data is now compromised?
No, Anthropic states this is a historical reconstruction of public parameters, not a break in encryption or a compromise of private keys.
Do I need to replace my digital certificates using P-256?
According to Anthropic, there is no reason to change deployments, as no new attack or cryptographic weakness was identified.
How did the AI determine the seed origin?
The model analyzed output patterns from a standard C generator initialized with 1997 Unix timestamps, matching the published NIST seeds.
