What is a timing side-channel vulnerability?

It is a security flaw where the time taken to execute code varies based on the input values, potentially allowing an attacker to deduce secret cryptographic keys.

Does this skill fix the code automatically?

It identifies vulnerabilities and provides patterns for implementation, helping you refactor code to be constant-time.

Which programming languages are supported?

This skill supports C, C++, Go, Rust, Swift, Java, Kotlin, C#, PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Ruby.

Why is secret-dependent branching dangerous?

If a branch (like an 'if' statement) depends on a secret bit, the difference in execution time or CPU cache behavior can leak that bit to an observer.

Who created the Constant Time Analysis skill?

The skill was authored by Trail of Bits, a leading cybersecurity research and consulting firm.

Constant Time Analysis

Name: Constant Time Analysis
Author: plurigrid

byplurigrid

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Security & Testing

Identifies timing side-channel vulnerabilities and non-constant-time operations in cryptographic implementations across multiple programming languages.

About

The Constant Time Analysis skill, developed by Trail of Bits, is a specialized security tool designed to audit cryptographic code for timing leaks. It helps developers detect dangerous patterns such as secret-dependent branching or variable-time arithmetic operations (like division on secrets) that could lead to side-channel attacks. By providing expert-level analysis for a wide range of languages—including C, Rust, Go, and Python—it ensures that sensitive routines execute in a predictable timeframe regardless of input, maintaining the integrity of cryptographic protocols.

Key Features

Identifies variable-time arithmetic operations on sensitive data
Assists in security audits for cryptographic libraries and protocols
Detects secret-dependent branching and control flow leaks
Provides domain-specific guidance for constant-time programming
Supports 14+ languages including Rust, Go, C++, and JavaScript
2 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Auditing custom encryption algorithm implementations for timing leaks
Verifying that password comparison logic is resistant to side-channel attacks
Refactoring legacy security code to follow constant-time best practices

About

Key Features

Identifies variable-time arithmetic operations on sensitive data
Assists in security audits for cryptographic libraries and protocols
Detects secret-dependent branching and control flow leaks
Provides domain-specific guidance for constant-time programming
Supports 14+ languages including Rust, Go, C++, and JavaScript
2 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Auditing custom encryption algorithm implementations for timing leaks
Verifying that password comparison logic is resistant to side-channel attacks
Refactoring legacy security code to follow constant-time best practices