AES-GCM implementation in Python 3

Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) is a mode of operation for symmetric key cryptographic block ciphers that provides authenticated encryption.

Proposed by David McGrew and John Viega in 2005, GCM is suited for high-speed secure computing and communication. Acknowledging this fact, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standardized GCM and its companion algorithm, Galois Message Authentication Code (GMAC), in 2007. The latter is an authentication-only variant of GCM which can be used as an incremental message authentication code (MAC). AES-GCM (the Advanced Encryption Algorithm operating in Galois/Counter Mode) has also been included in NSA Suite B Cryptography.

GCM’s confidentiality service is based on a variation of the Counter mode (CTR) while its authenticity assurance relies on a universal hash function defined over the binary Galois field $GF(2^{128})/x^{128}+x^7+x^2+x+1$.

GCM is defined for block ciphers with block sizes of 128, 192, and 256 bits (AES uses 128-bit blocks). Both GCM and GMAC can accept initialization vectors (IVs) of arbitrary length (AES and other symmetric ciphers, on the other hand, require IVs to be of the same size as the cipher’s block size).

Its interesting to note that Intel high-end CPUs support a special instruction, PCLMULQDQ, that computes the 128-bit product (the carry-less multiplication) of two 64-bit operands. This instruction can be used as a building block to perform the carry-less multiplication of two 128-bit operands required by GCM. The other step in GCM is reduction modulo the irreducible polynomial $x^{128}+x^7+x^2+x+1$, an operation that takes advantage of the PSRLD, PSLLD and PSHUFD instructions. Together with Intel’s Advanced Encryption Standard Instructions (AES-NI), these instructions allow GCM to offer authenticated encryption services at very high rates without using hardware-based solutions (e.g. FPGAs or ASICs). According to Intel, “an AES-GCM implementation based on the AES-NI and PCLMULQDQ instructions delivered a 400% throughput performance gain when compared to a non-AES-NI enabled software solution on the same platform.”

The Python code below implements AES-GCM using the AES implementation already presented and supports the three key sizes used by AES (128, 192 and 256 bits). All eighteen test cases proposed by McGrew & Viega were used to validate this implementation. Please note that this code is not of production quality.

```#!/usr/bin/python3
#
# Author: Joao H de A Franco (jhafranco@acm.org)
#
# Description: AES-GCM (Galois Counter/Mode) implementation
#              in Python 3
#
# Date: 2013-05-30
#
#          (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
#================================================================

import pyAES
from functools import reduce

def xor(x,y):
"""Returns the exclusive or (xor) between two vectors"""
return bytes(i^j for i,j in zip(x,y))

def intToList(number,listSize):
"""Convert a number into a byte list"""
return [(number >> i) & 0xff
for i in reversed(range(0,listSize*8,8))]

def listToInt(list):
"""Convert a byte list into a number"""
return reduce(lambda x,y:(x<<8)+y,list)

"""GCM's GHASH function"""
def xorMultH (p,q):
"""Multiply (p^q) by hash key"""
def multGF2(x,y):
"""Multiply two polynomials in GF(2^m)/g(w)
g(w) = w^128 + w^7 + w^2 + w + 1
(operands and result bits reflected)"""
(x,y) = map(lambda z:listToInt(list(z)),(x,y))
z = 0
while y & ((1<<128)-1):
if y & (1<<127):
z ^= x
y <<= 1
if x & 1:
x = (x>>1)^(0xe1<<120)
else:
x >>= 1
return bytes(intToList(z,16))

return bytes(multGF2(hkey,xor(p,q)))

def gLen(s):
"""Evaluate length of input in bits and returns
it in the LSB bytes of a 64-bit string"""
return bytes(intToList(len(s)*8,8))

x = bytes(16)
ctextP = ctext + bytes((16-len(ctext)%16)%16)
for i in range(0,len(ctextP),16):
x = xorMultH(x,ctextP[i:i+16])

"""GCM's Authenticated Encryption/Decryption Operations"""
def incr(m):
"""Increment the LSB 32 bits of input counter"""
n = list(m)
n12 = bytes(n[:12])
ctr = listToInt(n[12:])
if ctr == (1<<32)-1:
return n12 + bytes(4)
else:
return n12 + bytes(intToList(ctr+1,4))

obj = pyAES.AES('MODE_ECB')
obj.setKey(keysize,key)
h = bytes(obj.encrypt(bytes(16)))
output = bytes()
L = len(input)
if len(iv) == 12:
y0 = bytes(iv) + bytes(b'\x00\x00\x00\x01')
else:
y0 = bytes(GHASH(h,bytes(),iv))
y = y0
for i in range(0,len(input),16):
y = incr(y)
ctextBlock = xor(bytes(obj.encrypt(y)),
input[i:min(i+16,L)])
output += bytes(ctextBlock)
g = obj.encrypt(y0)
return output,tag,g,h

"""GCM's Authenticated Encryption Operation"""

"""GCM's Authenticated Decryption Operation"""
return True,ptext
else:
return False,None

######################## Testing section ########################

if __name__ == '__main__':

def printHex(s):
"""Prints a bytes string in hex format"""
print('{0:#0x}'.format(bytesToInt(s)))

def bytesToInt(b):
"""Converts a bytes string into an integer"""
return listToInt(list(b))

def listToInt(list):
"""Convert a byte list into a number"""
return reduce(lambda x,y:(x<<8)+y,list)

def intToBytes(n):
"""Converts an integer into a bytes string"""
lst = []
while n:
lst.append(n&0xff)
n >>= 8
return bytes(reversed(lst))

def convertType(v):
"""Convert input variable type to bytes"""
if type(v) is int:
return intToBytes(v)
elif type(v) is bytes:
return v
else:
return bytes(v,'ISO-8859-1')

def printOutputs():
"""Prints expected/evaluated tags and
expected/evaluated ciphertexts"""
print("Tag expected:  ", end="")
printHex(tag)
print("Tag evaluated: ", end="")
printHex(TAG)
print("Ciphertext expected:  ", end="")
printHex(ctext)
print("Ciphertext evaluated: ", end="")
printHex(CTEXT)

try:
assert SUCCESS & (CTEXT == ctext) & (TAG == tag)
print("Test case {0:0d} succeeded".format(id))
except AssertionError:
print("Test case {0:0d} failed".format(id))
printOutputs()

# Test cases extracted from
# "The Galois/Counter Mode of Operation(GCM)", McGrew & Viega, 2005 (http://goo.gl/DWJPK)

# Some useful constants
emptyString = bytes() # zero length bit string
nullBitString128 = bytes(16) # 128-bit null string
nullBitString96 = bytes(12) # 96-bit null IV

# Test Case #1
testcase1 = {'id':1,'keysize':"SIZE_128",'key':0x0,'ptext':emptyString,
'tag':0x58e2fccefa7e3061367f1d57a4e7455a}

# Test Case #2
testcase2 = {'id':2,'keysize':"SIZE_128",'key':0x0,'ptext':nullBitString128,
'tag':0xab6e47d42cec13bdf53a67b21257bddf}

# Test Case #3
testcase3 = {'id':3,'keysize':"SIZE_128",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b391aafd255,
'ctext':0x42831ec2217774244b7221b784d0d49ce3aa212f2c02a4e035c17e2329aca12e21d514b25466931c7d8f6a5aac84aa051ba30b396a0aac973d58e091473f5985,
'tag':0x4d5c2af327cd64a62cf35abd2ba6fab4}

## Test Case #4
testcase4 = {'id':4,'keysize':"SIZE_128",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'ctext':0x42831ec2217774244b7221b784d0d49ce3aa212f2c02a4e035c17e2329aca12e21d514b25466931c7d8f6a5aac84aa051ba30b396a0aac973d58e091,
'tag':0x5bc94fbc3221a5db94fae95ae7121a47}

## Test Case #5
testcase5 = {'id':5,'keysize':"SIZE_128",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'ctext':0x61353b4c2806934a777ff51fa22a4755699b2a714fcdc6f83766e5f97b6c742373806900e49f24b22b097544d4896b424989b5e1ebac0f07c23f4598,
'tag':0x3612d2e79e3b0785561be14aaca2fccb}

## Test Case #6
testcase6 = {'id':6,'keysize':"SIZE_128",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'iv':0x09313225df88406e555909c5aff5269aa6a7a9538534f7da1e4c303d2a318a728c3c0c95156809539fcf0e2429a6b525416aedbf5a0de6a57a637b39b,
'ctext':0x8ce24998625615b603a033aca13fb894be9112a5c3a211a8ba262a3cca7e2ca701e4a9a4fba43c90ccdcb281d48c7c6fd62875d2aca417034c34aee5,
'tag':0x619cc5aefffe0bfa462af43c1699d050}

## Test Case #7
testcase7 = {'id':7,'keysize':"SIZE_192",'key':0x0,'ptext':emptyString,
'tag':0xcd33b28ac773f74ba00ed1f312572435}

## Test Case #8
testcase8 = {'id':8,'keysize':"SIZE_192",'key':0x0,'ptext':nullBitString128,
'ctext':0x98e7247c07f0fe411c267e4384b0f600,
'tag':0x2ff58d80033927ab8ef4d4587514f0fb}

## Test Case #9
testcase9 = {'id':9,'keysize':"SIZE_192",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b391aafd255,
'tag':0x9924a7c8587336bfb118024db8674a14}

## Test Case #10
testcase10 = {'id':10,'keysize':"SIZE_192",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'ctext':0x3980ca0b3c00e841eb06fac4872a2757859e1ceaa6efd984628593b40ca1e19c7d773d00c144c525ac619d18c84a3f4718e2448b2fe324d9ccda2710,
'tag':0x2519498e80f1478f37ba55bd6d27618c}

## Test Case #11
testcase11 = {'id':11,'keysize':"SIZE_192",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'tag':0x65dcc57fcf623a24094fcca40d3533f8}

## Test Case #12
testcase12 = {'id':12,'keysize':"SIZE_192",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'iv':0x9313225df88406e555909c5aff5269aa6a7a9538534f7da1e4c303d2a318a728c3c0c95156809539fcf0e2429a6b525416aedbf5a0de6a57a637b39b,
'ctext':0xd27e88681ce3243c4830165a8fdcf9ff1de9a1d8e6b447ef6ef7b79828666e4581e79012af34ddd9e2f037589b292db3e67c036745fa22e7e9b7373b,
'tag':0xdcf566ff291c25bbb8568fc3d376a6d9}

## Test Case #13
testcase13 = {'id':13,'keysize':"SIZE_256",'key':0x0,'ptext':emptyString,
'tag':0x530f8afbc74536b9a963b4f1c4cb738b}

## Test Case #14
testcase14 = {'id':14,'keysize':"SIZE_256",'key':0x0,'ptext':nullBitString128,
'tag':0xd0d1c8a799996bf0265b98b5d48ab919}

## Test Case #15
testcase15 = {'id':15,'keysize':"SIZE_256",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b391aafd255,
'tag':0xb094dac5d93471bdec1a502270e3cc6c}

## Test Case #16
testcase16 = {'id':16,'keysize':"SIZE_256",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'ctext':0x522dc1f099567d07f47f37a32a84427d643a8cdcbfe5c0c97598a2bd2555d1aa8cb08e48590dbb3da7b08b1056828838c5f61e6393ba7a0abcc9f662,
'tag':0x76fc6ece0f4e1768cddf8853bb2d551b}

## Test Case #17
testcase17 = {'id':17,'keysize':"SIZE_256",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'ctext':0xc3762df1ca787d32ae47c13bf19844cbaf1ae14d0b976afac52ff7d79bba9de0feb582d33934a4f0954cc2363bc73f7862ac430e64abe499f47c9b1f,
'tag':0x3a337dbf46a792c45e454913fe2ea8f2}

## Test Case #18
testcase18 = {'id':18,'keysize':"SIZE_256",'key':0xfeffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308feffe9928665731c6d6a8f9467308308,
'ptext':0xd9313225f88406e5a55909c5aff5269a86a7a9531534f7da2e4c303d8a318a721c3c0c95956809532fcf0e2449a6b525b16aedf5aa0de657ba637b39,
'iv':0x9313225df88406e555909c5aff5269aa6a7a9538534f7da1e4c303d2a318a728c3c0c95156809539fcf0e2429a6b525416aedbf5a0de6a57a637b39b,
'ctext':0x5a8def2f0c9e53f1f75d7853659e2a20eeb2b22aafde6419a058ab4f6f746bf40fc0c3b780f244452da3ebf1c5d82cdea2418997200ef82e44ae7e3f,
'tag':0xa44a8266ee1c8eb0c8b5d4cf5ae9f19a}

for i in range(1,19):
checkTestVector(**(eval("testcase" + str(i))))
```

3 thoughts on “AES-GCM implementation in Python 3”

1. Hi JH,
When I run this GCM code in Python3.4, I got following errors:
C:\Python34>python gcm.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “gcm.py”, line 294, in
checkTestVector(**(eval(“testcase” + str(i))))
File “gcm.py”, line 157, in checkTestVector
File “gcm.py”, line 99, in GCM_encrypt