[erlang-questions] crypto:mod_exp/3 returns wrong result?

[Sverker Eriksson]

Looks like crypto does not handle negative integers correctly at all.

/Sverker, Erlang/OTP

Jesper Pettersson wrote:
> Writing a small example in C using the bignum library in openssl (used by
> the Erlang crypto driver) shows that the result there is 1 as well.
>
> #include <stdio.h>
> #include <openssl/crypto.h>
> #include <openssl/bn.h>
>
> int main(int argc, char *argv[])
> {
>         static const char b[] = "-2";
>         static const char e[] = "3";
> static const char m[] = "3";
>
>         BIGNUM *bnb = NULL;
>         BIGNUM *bne = NULL;
>         BIGNUM *bnm = NULL;
> BIGNUM *res = BN_new();
>
>         BN_CTX *ctx = BN_CTX_new();
>
>         BN_dec2bn(&bnb, b); /* convert the string to BIGNUM */
>         BN_dec2bn(&bne, e);
>         BN_dec2bn(&bnm, m);
>
>         BN_mod_exp(res, bnb, bne, bnm, ctx);
>
>         char *result_str = BN_bn2dec(res); /* convert the res BIGNUM to
> string */
>
>         printf("%s\n", result_str);
>
>         OPENSSL_free(result_str);
>
>         BN_free(bnb);
>         BN_free(bne);
>         BN_free(bnm);
>         BN_CTX_free(ctx);
>
>         return 0;
> }
>
> $ gcc -o bn -lcrypto bn.c
> $ ./bn
> 1
>
> /Jesper Pettersson
> Klarna AB
>
> On Sat, May 28, 2011 at 8:22 PM, Hanfei Shen <qqshfox@REDACTED> wrote:
>
>   
>> Hi all,
>>
>> As the doc says:
>>
>> mod_exp(N, P, M) -> Result
>>
>> Types:
>> N, P, M, Result = Mpint
>> Mpint = binary()
>>
>> This function performs the exponentiation N ^ P mod M, using the crypto
>> library.
>>
>> Now, assume: N = -2, P = 3, M = 3
>> Then: N ^ P mod M = (-2) ^ 3 mod 3
>>                   = (-8) mod 3
>>                   = (-3) * 3 + 1
>>                or = (-3) * 2 + (-2)
>> So: the remainder should be 1 or -2
>> (Remainder, From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remainder)
>>
>> But I got a TWO from crypto:mod_exp/3... Is there some wrong...?
>> And I did more tests with erlang, python and ruby.
>> The result:
>>
>> Erlang R14B02 (erts-5.8.3) [source] [64-bit] [smp:2:2] [rq:2]
>> [async-threads:0] [kernel-poll:false]
>>
>> Eshell V5.8.3  (abort with ^G)
>> 1> crypto:mod_exp(-2, 3, 3).
>> 2
>> 2> crypto:mod_exp(2, 3, 3).
>> 2
>> 3> crypto:mod_exp(-2, 3, -3).
>> 1
>> 4> crypto:mod_exp(2, 3, -3).
>> 8
>>
>> Python 2.7.1 (r271:86832, Mar 25 2011, 15:07:46)
>>
>> In [1]: pow(-2, 3, 3)
>> Out[1]: 1
>>
>> In [2]: pow(2, 3, 3)
>> Out[2]: 2
>>
>> In [3]: pow(-2, 3, -3)
>> Out[3]: -2
>>
>> In [4]: pow(2, 3, -3)
>> Out[4]: -1
>>
>> Welcome to IRB. You are using ruby 1.9.2p180 (2011-02-18 revision 30909)
>> [x86_64-linux]. Have fun ;)
>> irb(main):001:0> (-2) ** 3 % 3
>> 1
>> irb(main):002:0> 2 ** 3 % 3
>> 2
>> irb(main):003:0> (-2) ** 3 % (-3)
>> -2
>> irb(main):004:0> 2 ** 3 % (-3)
>> -1
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Hanfei
>>
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>> erlang-questions mailing list
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>>
>>
>>     
>
>
>   
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