Integration with AES (ZKP + ECDH)

Cipher Encryption Layer Overview

Cipher integrates a final AES encryption layer to its polymorphic substitution cascade — not as a standalone mechanism, but as a zero-knowledge-proven, cryptographically isolated overlay. This ensures that even in the presence of brute force attempts, the final output remains cryptographically sound, layered, and unpredictable.

1. Deterministic Local AES Key Derivation

AES encryption is applied only once all polymorphic substitution layers are complete. The AES key itself is never stored, never exchanged, and is computed dynamically on both sender and receiver sides through a shared deterministic process. This key is derived via a cascade hashing function that combines:

• The ECDH-generated shared secret between sender and recipient

• The structured channel passphrase, independently known to both parties

Both inputs are hashed individually, then hashed again together to produce the AES key locally. At no point is the AES key itself known, shared, or stored.

2. Dual Local Dependency

This architecture ensures that the AES key can only be reconstructed if both conditions are satisfied:

• The recipient holds their private key (ECDH)

• The recipient knows the correct structured channel passphrase

No third party — including Cipher’s infrastructure — can recreate or intercept the key. Even the sender cannot recover the encrypted data without possessing both sides of the deterministic derivation.

3. Stateless Finalization

This final layer ensures that, even after a fully successful substitution cascade, the payload remains irreversibly locked unless the AES key is reconstructed locally, and precisely. The decryption process mirrors this structure — with AES decryption happening first, followed by layer-by-layer polymorphic reversion.