Zodiac
General
Designers	Chang-Hyi Lee
First published	2000
Derived from	SAFER, SHARK
Related to	Xenon
Cipher detail
Key sizes	128, 192, or 256 bits
Block sizes	128 bits
Structure	Feistel network
Rounds	16
Best public cryptanalysis
Impossible differential cryptanalysis recovers 128-bit key in 2¹¹⁹ encryptions

In cryptography, Zodiac is a block cipher designed in 2000 by Chang-Hyi Lee for the Korean firm SoftForum.

Zodiac uses a 16-round Feistel network structure with key whitening. The round function uses only XORs and S-box lookups. There are two 8×8-bit S-boxes: one based on the discrete exponentiation 45^x as in SAFER, the other using the multiplicative inverse in the finite field GF(2⁸), as introduced by SHARK.

Zodiac is theoretically vulnerable to impossible differential cryptanalysis, which can recover a 128-bit key in 2¹¹⁹ encryptions.

References

HONG D, SUNG J, MORIAI S, LEE S, LIM J (2002). "Cryptography and Information Security. Impossible Differential Cryptanalysis of Zodiac". IEICE Transactions on Fundamentals of Electronics, Communications and Computer Sciences. E85-A (1): 38–43.
Wen Ji & Lei Hu (2008). "Square Attack on Reduced-Round Zodiac Cipher". Information Security Practice and Experience. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Vol. 4991. Springer. pp. 377–391. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-79104-1_27. ISBN 978-3-540-79103-4.

v t e Block ciphers (security summary)
Common algorithms	AES Blowfish DES (internal mechanics, Triple DES) Serpent SM4 Twofish
Less common algorithms	ARIA Camellia CAST-128 GOST IDEA LEA RC5 RC6 SEED Skipjack TEA XTEA
Other algorithms	3-Way Adiantum Akelarre Anubis Ascon BaseKing BassOmatic BATON BEAR and LION CAST-256 Chiasmus CIKS-1 CIPHERUNICORN-A CIPHERUNICORN-E CLEFIA CMEA Cobra COCONUT98 Crab Cryptomeria/C2 CRYPTON CS-Cipher DEAL DES-X DFC E2 FEAL FEA-M FROG G-DES Grand Cru Hasty Pudding cipher Hierocrypt ICE IDEA NXT Intel Cascade Cipher Iraqi Kalyna KASUMI KeeLoq KHAZAD Khufu and Khafre KN-Cipher Kuznyechik Ladder-DES LOKI (97, 89/91) Lucifer M6 M8 MacGuffin Madryga MAGENTA MARS Mercy MESH MISTY1 MMB MULTI2 MultiSwap New Data Seal NewDES Nimbus NOEKEON NUSH PRESENT Prince Q RC2 REDOC Red Pike S-1 SAFER SAVILLE SC2000 SHACAL SHARK Simon Speck Spectr-H64 Square SXAL/MBAL Threefish Treyfer UES xmx XXTEA Zodiac
Design	Feistel network Key schedule Lai–Massey scheme Product cipher S-box P-box SPN Confusion and diffusion Round Avalanche effect Block size Key size Key whitening (Whitening transformation)
Attack (cryptanalysis)	Brute-force (EFF DES cracker) MITM Biclique attack 3-subset MITM attack Linear (Piling-up lemma) Differential Impossible Truncated Higher-order Differential-linear Distinguishing (Known-key) Integral/Square Boomerang Mod n Related-key Slide Rotational Side-channel Timing Power-monitoring Electromagnetic Acoustic Differential-fault XSL Interpolation Partitioning Rubber-hose Black-bag Davies Rebound Weak key Tau Chi-square Time/memory/data tradeoff
Standardization	AES process CRYPTREC NESSIE
Utilization	Initialization vector Mode of operation Padding

v t e Cryptography
General	History of cryptography Outline of cryptography Cryptographic protocol Authentication protocol Cryptographic primitive Cryptanalysis Cryptocurrency Cryptosystem Cryptographic nonce Cryptovirology Hash function Cryptographic hash function Key derivation function Digital signature Kleptography Key (cryptography) Key exchange Key generator Key schedule Key stretching Keygen Cryptojacking malware Ransomware Random number generation Cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator (CSPRNG) Pseudorandom noise (PRN) Secure channel Insecure channel Subliminal channel Encryption Decryption End-to-end encryption Harvest now, decrypt later Information-theoretic security Plaintext Codetext Ciphertext Shared secret Trapdoor function Trusted timestamping Key-based routing Onion routing Garlic routing Kademlia Mix network
Mathematics	Cryptographic hash function Block cipher Stream cipher Symmetric-key algorithm Authenticated encryption Public-key cryptography Quantum key distribution Quantum cryptography Post-quantum cryptography Message authentication code Random numbers Steganography
Category

References

Further reading