Exact Bias of Linear TRNG Correctors -- Spectral Approach
Abstract
Using Fourier analysis, this paper establishes near-optimal security bounds for linear correctors commonly used in True Random Number Generators (TRNGs), expressed through code weight enumerators and input bias parameters. We provide the first near-tight bias characterization in total variation, by interpolating between optimal and norm results. Our bounds improve security assessments by an order of magnitude over previously known (overly conservative) estimates. Across 20,000 codes, we examine fundamental trade-offs between compression efficiency, cryptographic security, and hardware complexity. Achieving 80-bit security with 10\% input bias typically requires sacrificing more than 50\% of the code rate and incurs increased hardware cost. This quantifies the inherent cost of randomness extraction in hardware TRNG implementations.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.26393,
title = {Exact Bias of Linear TRNG Correctors -- Spectral Approach},
author = {Maciej Skorski and Francisco-Javier Soto and Onur Günlü},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.26393},
year = {2026}
}