Anthropic AI Identifies Origin of NIST P-256 Curve Seed

Researchers used a Claude model to trace the P-256 cryptographic seed to a specific 1990s pseudorandom number generator.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a complex geometric lattice structure with a glowing point, representing an analysis of cryptographic data. — Anthropic researchers used a Claude AI model to identify the origin of the NIST P-256 cryptographic seed, resolving long-standing security questions. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Anthropic researchers have successfully identified the origin of the NIST P-256 elliptic curve seed by analyzing 1990s PRNG behavior with the Claude AI model. The analysis resolved the provenance of candidate #1842, which was generated using Unix timestamp 871696354.

Why it matters

The investigation was conducted to address long-standing security concerns regarding potential cryptographic backdoors in government-standardized curves. By confirming the generation method, researchers have provided clarity on the integrity of the P-256 curve, which is widely utilized across the internet.

The P-256 seed value of C49D360886E704936A6678E1139D26B7819F7E90 was traced to the lrand48/drand48 generator. The Claude AI model successfully reverse-engineered the generation method in less than 30 minutes.

The players

Anthropic

Anthropic is an artificial intelligence research company that develops the Claude series of large language models.

Jerry Solinas

Jerry Solinas is a former researcher who submitted the P-256 seeds to the ANSI X9.62 committee in 1997.

Internet Security Research Group

The Internet Security Research Group is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing internet security through the development of open-source initiatives.

The details

Researchers determined that prime curve seeds, including P-192, P-224, P-384, and P-521, were derived from timestamps occurring between May 1997 and April 1998. The bounty for solving the seed origin, which totaled $36,864, was donated to the Internet Security Research Group following the findings.

February 1984: Binary curve seed timestamps were generated.
August 16, 1997, 01:52:34 UTC: The random number generator run commenced.
Fall 1997: Jerry Solinas submitted the seeds to the ANSI X9.62 committee.
May 1997 - April 1998: Prime curve seed timestamps were created.
October 16, 2026: Research findings were officially announced.

The Tech Race

This discovery updates the historical understanding of the standards set by FIPS 186-2. It clarifies the cryptographic provenance of the P-256 curve, which NIST standardized in 2000.

This finding confirms the integrity of encryption protocols used in secure web browsing and digital identity verification. Users can expect continued stability in security standards that rely on the P-256 curve for data protection.

The takeaway

The successful application of AI to verify cryptographic seeds demonstrates the evolving role of machine learning in auditing legacy software systems. This event underscores the importance of public audits in maintaining trust in widely adopted security standards.