security · zk
Last week, a surprising paper revealed a major vulnerability in Microsoft's Nova, a leading zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) system, that showcased a false computation with a valid proof. This discovery is especially intriguing given the complexity and robustness typically associated with ZKP systems. We had just launched our company to tackle bugs in ZKP frameworks, and while we anticipated issues, complete breakdowns of systems themselves are rare. Nova's issue revolved around cycles of elliptic curves, showing how small implementation oversights in complex cryptographic systems can lead to significant errors. This post dives into the intricate mechanics of Nova and the discovery process, offering a fascinating glimpse into why rigorous specifications are crucial in cryptography.
David Wong
July 02, 2023
13 min
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noname · Part 1
Zero-knowledge apps are evolving, and we've been diving into their two main forms: VM instructions and arithmetic circuits. Understanding the "assembly" layer is crucial for developers, especially when optimizing and ensuring security. We’ve played around with a new toy language called **noname**, blending Golang and Rust vibes to make zkApps more understandable. With **noname**, you get detailed insights about how your code translates into gates, offering a clearer picture of the underlying "assembly" and helping pinpoint compiler bugs. If you're curious about enhancing your low-level programming skills or peeking into circuit construction, check out our experiments and see if this inspires you to create better debugging tools!
David Wong
June 03, 2023
3 min
security · zk
If you're into WebAssembly (Wasm) and want to speed up your JavaScript, this blog post is for you! We talk about our journey with Wasm and how we created a TypeScript library called wasmati that lets you write Wasm at the instruction level. You'll get the inside scoop on how this can significantly improve performance, especially for cryptography work. Plus, we showcase a real-world example comparing Wasm and JS bigint performance, proving that Wasm can be over four times faster. Dive in to see how we've combined the flexibility of TypeScript with the power of Wasm for high-performance coding.
Gregor Mitscha-Baude
June 02, 2023
25 min
