SHARK is a 64-bit block cipher using S-box and MDS matrix transformations over GF(2^8). Designed in 1996, it features variable rounds (default 6) with a 128-bit key and incorporates provable security against differential and linear cryptanalysis through its maximum distance separable (MDS) matrix design.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Block Ciphers |
| Sub-category | Block Cipher |
| Security status | 🧪 Experimental |
| Complexity | Advanced |
| Inventor | Vincent Rijmen, Joan Daemen, Bart Preneel, Anton Bosselaers, Erik De Win |
| Year | 1996 |
| Origin | 🇧🇪 Belgium |
| Source | algorithms/block/shark.js |
| Parameter | Supported values |
|---|---|
| Key sizes | 16 bytes (128 bits) |
| Block sizes | 8 bytes (64 bits) |
Status: 🧪 Experimental
| Issue | Description | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Limited Rounds | With only 6 rounds by default, SHARK has less security margin than modern ciphers like AES which uses 10-14 rounds. | — |
| Small Block Size | 64-bit blocks are vulnerable to birthday attacks after processing 2^32 blocks (~32GB). | — |
| Historical Design | SHARK predates AES and has received less cryptanalysis than modern standards. | — |
7 vectors ship with this algorithm and run in the test suite. Byte values are hexadecimal.
Vector 1 — Crypto++ Test Vector #1 (Zero Key/Plaintext)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
key |
00000000000000000000000000000000 |
input |
0000000000000000 |
expected |
214bcf4e7716420a |
Vector 2 — Crypto++ Test Vector #2 (Sequential Key)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
key |
000102030405060708090a0b0c0d0e0f |
input |
0000000000000000 |
expected |
c76c696289898137 |
Vector 3 — Crypto++ Test Vector #3 (Round-trip)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
key |
000102030405060708090a0b0c0d0e0f |
input |
c76c696289898137 |
expected |
077a4a59faeeea4d |
Vector 4 — Crypto++ Test Vector #4
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
key |
915f4619be41b2516355a50110a9ce91 |
input |
21a5dbee154b8f6d |
expected |
6ff33b98f448e95a |
Vector 5 — Crypto++ Test Vector #5
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
key |
783348e75aeb0f2fd7b169bb8dc16787 |
input |
f7c013ac5b2b8952 |
expected |
e5e554abe9ced2d2 |
Vector 6 — Crypto++ Test Vector #6
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
key |
dc49db1375a5584f6485b413b5f12baf |
input |
2f42b3b70369fc92 |
expected |
9ae068313f343a7a |
Vector 7 — Crypto++ Test Vector #7
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
key |
5269f149d41ba0152497574d7f153125 |
input |
65c178b284d197cc |
expected |
d3f111a282f17f29 |