Tor Project Develops New CGO Encryption to Replace Vulnerable Tor1 Protocol

The Tor Project is developing a new encryption scheme called the Counter Galois Onion (CGO) to replace the vulnerable Tor1 protocol, which has been exploited in tagging attacks that compromise user privacy. The Tor1 algorithm, which encrypts data through multiple nodes, has weaknesses such as reusing the same AES key and a flawed authenticator. CGO aims to enhance security by making any tampering with messages irrecoverable. It has been implemented in the Rust-based Tor client, Arti, but a release timeline for Tor Browser users is uncertain as the team focuses on optimization.