core: replace secp256k with k256 in crypto::ecdsa (#3525)

This PR replaces the usage of
[secp256k](https://crates.io/crates/secp256k1) crate with
[k256](https://crates.io/crates/k256) in `core::crypto::ecdsa` for
`non-std` environments as outcome of discussion in #3448.

`secp256k1` is used in `std`, meaning that we should not affect host
performance with this PR.
`k256` is enabled in runtimes (`no-std`), and is required to proceed
with #2044.

If desirable, in future we can switch to `k256` also for `std`. That
would require some performance evaluation (e.g. for EVM chains as per
https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk/issues/3448#issuecomment-1976780391).

Closes https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot-sdk/issues/3448

---------

Co-authored-by: command-bot <>
Co-authored-by: Davide Galassi <davxy@datawok.net>

Cargo.lock

@@ -4815,6 +4815,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "digest 0.10.7",
  "elliptic-curve",
  "rfc6979",
+ "serdect",
  "signature",
  "spki",
 ]
@@ -4881,9 +4882,9 @@ checksum = "a26ae43d7bcc3b814de94796a5e736d4029efb0ee900c12e2d54c993ad1a1e07"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "elliptic-curve"
-version = "0.13.5"
+version = "0.13.8"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "968405c8fdc9b3bf4df0a6638858cc0b52462836ab6b1c87377785dd09cf1c0b"
+checksum = "b5e6043086bf7973472e0c7dff2142ea0b680d30e18d9cc40f267efbf222bd47"
 dependencies = [
  "base16ct",
  "crypto-bigint",
@@ -4894,6 +4895,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "pkcs8",
  "rand_core 0.6.4",
  "sec1",
+ "serdect",
  "subtle 2.5.0",
  "zeroize",
 ]
@@ -6971,14 +6973,15 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "k256"
-version = "0.13.1"
+version = "0.13.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "cadb76004ed8e97623117f3df85b17aaa6626ab0b0831e6573f104df16cd1bcc"
+checksum = "956ff9b67e26e1a6a866cb758f12c6f8746208489e3e4a4b5580802f2f0a587b"
 dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
  "ecdsa",
  "elliptic-curve",
  "once_cell",
+ "serdect",
  "sha2 0.10.7",
 ]
 
@@ -17101,6 +17104,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "der",
  "generic-array 0.14.7",
  "pkcs8",
+ "serdect",
  "subtle 2.5.0",
  "zeroize",
 ]
@@ -17359,6 +17363,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "unsafe-libyaml",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "serdect"
+version = "0.2.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a84f14a19e9a014bb9f4512488d9829a68e04ecabffb0f9904cd1ace94598177"
+dependencies = [
+ "base16ct",
+ "serde",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "serial_test"
 version = "2.0.0"
@@ -18567,6 +18581,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "hash256-std-hasher",
  "impl-serde",
  "itertools 0.10.5",
+ "k256",
  "lazy_static",
  "libsecp256k1",
  "log",
@@ -22553,9 +22568,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "zeroize"
-version = "1.6.0"
+version = "1.7.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "2a0956f1ba7c7909bfb66c2e9e4124ab6f6482560f6628b5aaeba39207c9aad9"
+checksum = "525b4ec142c6b68a2d10f01f7bbf6755599ca3f81ea53b8431b7dd348f5fdb2d"
 dependencies = [
  "zeroize_derive",
 ]

substrate/primitives/core/Cargo.toml

@@ -52,9 +52,12 @@ blake2 = { version = "0.10.4", default-features = false, optional = true }
 libsecp256k1 = { version = "0.7", default-features = false, features = ["static-context"], optional = true }
 schnorrkel = { version = "0.11.4", features = ["preaudit_deprecated"], default-features = false }
 merlin = { version = "3.0", default-features = false }
-secp256k1 = { version = "0.28.0", default-features = false, features = ["alloc", "recovery"], optional = true }
 sp-crypto-hashing = { path = "../crypto/hashing", default-features = false, optional = true }
 sp-runtime-interface = { path = "../runtime-interface", default-features = false }
+# k256 crate, better portability, intended to be used in substrate-runtimes (no-std)
+k256 = { version = "0.13.3", features = ["alloc", "ecdsa"], default-features = false }
+# secp256k1 crate, better performance, intended to be used on host side (std)
+secp256k1 = { version = "0.28.0", default-features = false, features = ["alloc", "recovery"], optional = true }
 
 # bls crypto
 w3f-bls = { version = "0.1.3", default-features = false, optional = true }
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ bench = false
 
 [features]
 default = ["std"]
+
 std = [
 	"array-bytes",
 	"bandersnatch_vrfs?/std",
@@ -94,6 +98,7 @@ std = [
 	"hash256-std-hasher/std",
 	"impl-serde/std",
 	"itertools",
+	"k256/std",
 	"libsecp256k1/std",
 	"log/std",
 	"merlin/std",
@@ -132,6 +137,7 @@ serde = [
 	"bs58/alloc",
 	"dep:serde",
 	"impl-serde",
+	"k256/serde",
 	"primitive-types/serde_no_std",
 	"scale-info/serde",
 	"secrecy/alloc",
@@ -147,7 +153,6 @@ full_crypto = [
 	"blake2",
 	"ed25519-zebra",
 	"libsecp256k1",
-	"secp256k1",
 	"sp-crypto-hashing",
 	"sp-runtime-interface/disable_target_static_assertions",
 ]

substrate/primitives/core/src/ecdsa.rs

@@ -28,14 +28,15 @@ use crate::crypto::{
 };
 #[cfg(feature = "full_crypto")]
 use crate::crypto::{DeriveError, DeriveJunction, Pair as TraitPair, SecretStringError};
-#[cfg(all(feature = "full_crypto", not(feature = "std")))]
+
-use secp256k1::Secp256k1;
+#[cfg(all(not(feature = "std"), feature = "full_crypto"))]
-#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+use k256::ecdsa::SigningKey as SecretKey;
-use secp256k1::SECP256K1;
+#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
-#[cfg(feature = "full_crypto")]
+use k256::ecdsa::VerifyingKey;
+#[cfg(all(feature = "std", feature = "full_crypto"))]
 use secp256k1::{
 	ecdsa::{RecoverableSignature, RecoveryId},
-	Message, PublicKey, SecretKey,
+	Message, PublicKey, SecretKey, SECP256K1,
 };
 #[cfg(feature = "serde")]
 use serde::{de, Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
@@ -53,9 +54,9 @@ pub const PUBLIC_KEY_SERIALIZED_SIZE: usize = 33;
 /// The byte length of signature
 pub const SIGNATURE_SERIALIZED_SIZE: usize = 65;
 
-/// A secret seed (which is bytewise essentially equivalent to a SecretKey).
+/// The secret seed.
 ///
-/// We need it as a different type because `Seed` is expected to be AsRef<[u8]>.
+/// The raw secret seed, which can be used to create the `Pair`.
 #[cfg(feature = "full_crypto")]
 type Seed = [u8; 32];
 
@@ -96,18 +97,21 @@ impl Public {
 	/// Create a new instance from the given full public key.
 	///
 	/// This will convert the full public key into the compressed format.
-	#[cfg(feature = "std")]
 	pub fn from_full(full: &[u8]) -> Result<Self, ()> {
-		let pubkey = if full.len() == 64 {
+		let mut tagged_full = [0u8; 65];
+		let full = if full.len() == 64 {
 			// Tag it as uncompressed public key.
-			let mut tagged_full = [0u8; 65];
 			tagged_full[0] = 0x04;
 			tagged_full[1..].copy_from_slice(full);
-			secp256k1::PublicKey::from_slice(&tagged_full)
+			&tagged_full
 		} else {
-			secp256k1::PublicKey::from_slice(full)
+			full
 		};
-		pubkey.map(|k| Self(k.serialize())).map_err(|_| ())
+		#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+		let pubkey = PublicKey::from_slice(&full);
+		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+		let pubkey = VerifyingKey::from_sec1_bytes(&full);
+		pubkey.map(|k| k.into()).map_err(|_| ())
 	}
 }
 
@@ -131,6 +135,24 @@ impl AsMut<[u8]> for Public {
 	}
 }
 
+#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+impl From<PublicKey> for Public {
+	fn from(pubkey: PublicKey) -> Self {
+		Self(pubkey.serialize())
+	}
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+impl From<VerifyingKey> for Public {
+	fn from(pubkey: VerifyingKey) -> Self {
+		Self::unchecked_from(
+			pubkey.to_sec1_bytes()[..]
+				.try_into()
+				.expect("valid key is serializable to [u8,33]. qed."),
+		)
+	}
+}
+
 impl TryFrom<&[u8]> for Public {
 	type Error = ();
 
@@ -331,23 +353,34 @@ impl Signature {
 	/// Recover the public key from this signature and a pre-hashed message.
 	#[cfg(feature = "full_crypto")]
 	pub fn recover_prehashed(&self, message: &[u8; 32]) -> Option<Public> {
-		let rid = RecoveryId::from_i32(self.0[64] as i32).ok()?;
-		let sig = RecoverableSignature::from_compact(&self.0[..64], rid).ok()?;
-		let message = Message::from_digest_slice(message).expect("Message is 32 bytes; qed");
-
 		#[cfg(feature = "std")]
-		let context = SECP256K1;
+		{
-		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+			let rid = RecoveryId::from_i32(self.0[64] as i32).ok()?;
-		let context = Secp256k1::verification_only();
+			let sig = RecoverableSignature::from_compact(&self.0[..64], rid).ok()?;
+			let message = Message::from_digest_slice(message).expect("Message is 32 bytes; qed");
+			SECP256K1.recover_ecdsa(&message, &sig).ok().map(Public::from)
+		}
 
-		context
+		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
-			.recover_ecdsa(&message, &sig)
+		{
-			.ok()
+			let rid = k256::ecdsa::RecoveryId::from_byte(self.0[64])?;
-			.map(|pubkey| Public(pubkey.serialize()))
+			let sig = k256::ecdsa::Signature::from_bytes((&self.0[..64]).into()).ok()?;
+			VerifyingKey::recover_from_prehash(message, &sig, rid).map(Public::from).ok()
+		}
 	}
 }
 
-#[cfg(feature = "full_crypto")]
+#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+impl From<(k256::ecdsa::Signature, k256::ecdsa::RecoveryId)> for Signature {
+	fn from(recsig: (k256::ecdsa::Signature, k256::ecdsa::RecoveryId)) -> Signature {
+		let mut r = Self::default();
+		r.0[..64].copy_from_slice(&recsig.0.to_bytes());
+		r.0[64] = recsig.1.to_byte();
+		r
+	}
+}
+
+#[cfg(all(feature = "std", feature = "full_crypto"))]
 impl From<RecoverableSignature> for Signature {
 	fn from(recsig: RecoverableSignature) -> Signature {
 		let mut r = Self::default();
@@ -384,17 +417,19 @@ impl TraitPair for Pair {
 	///
 	/// You should never need to use this; generate(), generate_with_phrase
 	fn from_seed_slice(seed_slice: &[u8]) -> Result<Pair, SecretStringError> {
-		let secret =
-			SecretKey::from_slice(seed_slice).map_err(|_| SecretStringError::InvalidSeedLength)?;
-
 		#[cfg(feature = "std")]
-		let context = SECP256K1;
+		{
-		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+			let secret = SecretKey::from_slice(seed_slice)
-		let context = Secp256k1::signing_only();
+				.map_err(|_| SecretStringError::InvalidSeedLength)?;
+			Ok(Pair { public: PublicKey::from_secret_key(&SECP256K1, &secret).into(), secret })
+		}
 
-		let public = PublicKey::from_secret_key(&context, &secret);
+		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
-		let public = Public(public.serialize());
+		{
-		Ok(Pair { public, secret })
+			let secret = SecretKey::from_slice(seed_slice)
+				.map_err(|_| SecretStringError::InvalidSeedLength)?;
+			Ok(Pair { public: VerifyingKey::from(&secret).into(), secret })
+		}
 	}
 
 	/// Derive a child key from a series of given junctions.
@@ -438,7 +473,14 @@ impl TraitPair for Pair {
 impl Pair {
 	/// Get the seed for this key.
 	pub fn seed(&self) -> Seed {
-		self.secret.secret_bytes()
+		#[cfg(feature = "std")]
+		{
+			self.secret.secret_bytes()
+		}
+		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+		{
+			self.secret.to_bytes().into()
+		}
 	}
 
 	/// Exactly as `from_string` except that if no matches are found then, the the first 32
@@ -455,14 +497,19 @@ impl Pair {
 
 	/// Sign a pre-hashed message
 	pub fn sign_prehashed(&self, message: &[u8; 32]) -> Signature {
-		let message = Message::from_digest_slice(message).expect("Message is 32 bytes; qed");
-
 		#[cfg(feature = "std")]
-		let context = SECP256K1;
+		{
-		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+			let message = Message::from_digest_slice(message).expect("Message is 32 bytes; qed");
-		let context = Secp256k1::signing_only();
+			SECP256K1.sign_ecdsa_recoverable(&message, &self.secret).into()
+		}
 
-		context.sign_ecdsa_recoverable(&message, &self.secret).into()
+		#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+		{
+			self.secret
+				.sign_prehash_recoverable(message)
+				.expect("signing may not fail (???). qed.")
+				.into()
+		}
 	}
 
 	/// Verify a signature on a pre-hashed message. Return `true` if the signature is valid
@@ -503,7 +550,7 @@ impl Pair {
 // NOTE: this solution is not effective when `Pair` is moved around memory.
 // The very same problem affects other cryptographic backends that are just using
 // `zeroize`for their secrets.
-#[cfg(feature = "full_crypto")]
+#[cfg(all(feature = "std", feature = "full_crypto"))]
 impl Drop for Pair {
 	fn drop(&mut self) {
 		self.secret.non_secure_erase()
@@ -770,8 +817,18 @@ mod test {
 		let msg = [0u8; 32];
 		let sig1 = pair.sign_prehashed(&msg);
 		let sig2: Signature = {
-			let message = Message::from_digest_slice(&msg).unwrap();
+			#[cfg(feature = "std")]
-			SECP256K1.sign_ecdsa_recoverable(&message, &pair.secret).into()
+			{
+				let message = Message::from_digest_slice(&msg).unwrap();
+				SECP256K1.sign_ecdsa_recoverable(&message, &pair.secret).into()
+			}
+			#[cfg(not(feature = "std"))]
+			{
+				pair.secret
+					.sign_prehash_recoverable(&msg)
+					.expect("signing may not fail (???). qed.")
+					.into()
+			}
 		};
 		assert_eq!(sig1, sig2);