README: warn that not all packages are constant time - #668
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cjpatton merged 1 commit intoJul 22, 2026
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Issue cloudflare#657 asked for an explicit README-level warning that some experimental CIRCL packages are not constant time. PRs cloudflare#638 and cloudflare#651 added per-package constant-time caveats to eight packages, but the README's Security Disclaimer still only mentioned that the library is experimental — it never mentioned constant time. Add a "Constant-Time Caveats" subsection under the existing Security Disclaimer, pointing readers at the per-package notes in group, oprf, blindsign/blindrsa/partiallyblindrsa, secretsharing, tss/rsa, zk/dl, zk/dleq, and ecc/p384. Documentation-only change: no source files touched, no API change, no tests added. Refs: cloudflare#657
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cjpatton
approved these changes
Jul 22, 2026
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Adds a "Constant-Time Caveats" subsection to the README's Security Disclaimer, pointing readers at the per-package constant-time caveats that were added in #638 (seven packages) and #651 (ecc/p384):
group/,oprf/,blindsign/blindrsa/partiallyblindrsa/,secretsharing/,tss/rsa/,zk/dl/,zk/dleq/, andecc/p384/.#657 asked for an explicit README-level warning that some experimental CIRCL packages are not constant time. PRs #638 and #651 added per-package caveats, but the README's Security Disclaimer still only mentioned that the library is experimental — it never mentioned constant time. A reader who only skims the README has no signal that they should drill into the per-package docs before relying on a package in a side-channel-sensitive context.
One file changed:
README.md(+9 lines, -0 lines). No source files touched, no API change, no tests added (documentation-only change).go generate -v ./...is a no-op;go build ./...andgo vet ./...are clean.Note:
dh/csidhalso has inline// Non-constant time!comments incurve.go(lines 91, 133, 163) andcsidh.go(line 73) that predate #638. These are on internal functions rather than at the package level, so I've left them out of the README list — happy to add a footnote if you'd prefer.First-time contributor to CIRCL — happy to adjust wording, location, or scope.