OpenSSL 4.1 Alpha 1 Released With DTLS 1.3, GREASE & More AVX-512 Optimizations

The first alpha release of the upcoming OpenSSL 4.1 release is now available for testing with some GREASE and DTLS 1.3 support along with more AVX-512 performance optimizations. DTLS 1.3 is supported by OpenSSL 4.1 Alpha 1 as the newest version of the Datagram Transport Layer Security protocol. DTLS 1.3 provides for greater security, much faster handshakes, forward secrecy, built-in support for post-quantum cryptography, and an optimized header format. OpenSSL 4.1 is also introducing support for Generate Random Extensions And Sustain Extensibility "GREASE". GREASE is interesting as it's for sending random, meaningless values in TLS network connections during handshakes for protocol codes that will never be used. The random data with GREASE in turn helps spot failures earlier on and ultimately more robust handling in the TLSS ecosystem by ensuring peers correctly handle unknown values. Also exciting with OpenSSL 4.1 are AVX-512-optimized SHAKE x4 operations for ML-DSA on x86_64. Also on the AVX-512 side are AVX-512 and AES optimizations for AES-CBC decryption. This builds on already existing AVX-512 support in OpenSSL. See current OpenSSL benchmarks of different CPUs while OpenSSL 4.1 benchmarking will soon begin at Phoronix. OpenSSL 4.1 Alpha 1 also finally ends Windows-on-Itanium support along with the Windows CE target. Meanwhile new CPU architecture support is initial support for Russia's Elbrus 2000 "E2K" architecture. Downloads and more details on today's OpenSSL 4.1 Alpha 1 release via GitHub.