ML-KEM·Key encapsulation·NIST level 5

ML-KEM-1024

ML-KEM (FIPS 203) is a lattice-based key encapsulation mechanism, standardized by NIST in August 2024. It replaces RSA and elliptic-curve Diffie-Hellman for establishing shared secrets in a post-quantum world.

Latest run2026-09-21 11:47 UTC

commit6ed429a

CPU: Xeon Platinum 8488C
Measured on: c7i.large
OS / Kernel: 24.04.4 LTS
liboqs: 0.15.0
Wall clock: 32m 32s
CPU steal: <0.01%

Parameters

Family: ML-KEM
Parameter set: 1024
Public key: 1.53 KB
Private key: 3.09 KB
Ciphertext: 1.53 KB
Iterations / op: 1,000
liboqs key: ML-KEM-1024

Regulatory approval status

Whether this algorithm family is approved/recommended for use under three regimes. Every badge links to its source — click through before citing this elsewhere.

CNSA 2.0 (US/NSA)Approved

CNSA 2.0 replaces ECDH/RSA key establishment with ML-KEM. Commercial equipment follows CNSA 1.0 until the CNSSP 156-mandated transition (~2025–2030 depending on equipment type).

NSA CNSA 2.0 Cybersecurity Advisory · not directly verified this session, spot-check the source

BSI TR-02102-1 (DE)Recommended

Listed under §2.4.3 "ML-KEM Key Agreement", one of BSI's recommended quantum-safe asymmetric mechanisms.

BSI TR-02102-1 "Cryptographic Mechanisms: Recommendations and Key Lengths", Version 2026-01 (23 Jan 2026)

ANSSI (FR)Conditional

Recommended at NIST level 5 (preferred) or level 3, using the IND-CCA (active) variant with ephemeral keys where possible — not the parameters modified, and hybridization "strongly emphasized as necessary" in the short/medium term.

ANSSI views on the Post-Quantum Cryptography transition (2023 follow up), §2

keygenGenerate a fresh key pair.

131 of 131 runs

Mean: 21.6 µs
95% CI on mean: ±1.30%
Median: 21.1 µs
p95: 24.0 µs
p99: 43.3 µs
Stdev: 4.5 µs
Min: 17.2 µs
Ops/sec: 46,236

Mean is known to 21.35–21.91 µs across 1,000 iterations. A 95% confidence interval on the mean, not a prediction interval for a single operation. It says how precisely the average is known from this run's samples; the standard deviation says how much the individual samples scattered.

Mean over time

Click any point to view the GitHub Actions run that produced it.

encapEncapsulate: produce a shared secret and ciphertext under the recipient's public key.

131 of 131 runs

Mean: 23.6 µs
95% CI on mean: ±1.57%
Median: 22.9 µs
p95: 25.6 µs
p99: 44.5 µs
Stdev: 6.0 µs
Min: 18.5 µs
Ops/sec: 42,387

Mean is known to 23.22–23.96 µs across 1,000 iterations. A 95% confidence interval on the mean, not a prediction interval for a single operation. It says how precisely the average is known from this run's samples; the standard deviation says how much the individual samples scattered.

Mean over time

Click any point to view the GitHub Actions run that produced it.

decapDecapsulate: recover the shared secret from the ciphertext using the private key.

131 of 131 runs

Mean: 25.9 µs
95% CI on mean: ±1.21%
Median: 25.1 µs
p95: 28.8 µs
p99: 55.8 µs
Stdev: 5.0 µs
Min: 19.4 µs
Ops/sec: 38,603

Mean is known to 25.59–26.22 µs across 1,000 iterations. A 95% confidence interval on the mean, not a prediction interval for a single operation. It says how precisely the average is known from this run's samples; the standard deviation says how much the individual samples scattered.

Mean over time

Click any point to view the GitHub Actions run that produced it.