Subject: Re: openssh unaligned access in swap_bytes (on alpha)
To: Simon Burge <simonb@wasabisystems.com>
From: Jason R Thorpe <thorpej@zembu.com>
List: tech-crypto
Date: 10/22/2000 11:07:28
On Mon, Oct 23, 2000 at 03:46:07AM +1100, Simon Burge wrote:

 > So the arguments obviously aren't 8 (or even 4) byte aligned, contrary
 > to the comment before swap_bytes() in cipher.c.

 > 	SA-110	(233MHz)	 1.6488		  1.8607	  1.6500

 > I'm tempted to leave it at 4 byte loops.  The code is clearer and
 > overall it doesn't seem to make that much off a difference either way.
 > I've tested this change actually in ssh on alpha and sparc (just to
 > check that I didn't botch any endian-type stuff).
 > 
 > I also think that such a change should also be pulled up to 1.5...

Agreed -- without the fix, SSH will simply not function on e.g.
ARM systems (unaligned accesses produce unexpected results rather
than faults on the ARM).

-- 
        -- Jason R. Thorpe <thorpej@zembu.com>