With the “Q-Day” horizon the point when quantum computers will be capable of breaking standard encryption projected for roughly 2033, the race to secure digital infrastructure is accelerating.
To aid in this transition, Quantum Shield Labs has released Crypto Scanner, a new open-source CLI tool designed to inventory and analyse cryptographic vulnerabilities in codebases before they can be exploited.
The “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” Threat
The urgency for tools like Crypto Scanner stems from the “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later” (HNDL) attack strategy.
Adversaries are actively stealing encrypted data today with the intent of decrypting it once Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computers (CRQCs) become available.
While 2033 may seem distant, the migration to quantum-resistant standards is complex.
NIST recently finalised post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards such as ML-KEM and ML-DSA in 2024 to combat these threats.
However, developers first need visibility into their existing cryptographic dependencies a gap Crypto Scanner aims to fill.
Crypto Scanner automates the discovery of algorithms vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm, which can efficiently factor large integers and compute discrete logarithms, rendering current standards like RSA and ECC insecure.
The tool scans source code (supporting 14 languages including Python, JavaScript, Go, and Rust), configuration files, and X.509 certificates.
It generates executive reports in HTML or JSON formats, making it suitable for both local auditing and automated CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions or GitLab CI.
Key Risk Classifications
The tool categorizes findings based on their susceptibility to quantum attacks. The following table outlines the primary risks identified by the scanner:
| Risk Level | Algorithm | Quantum Impact | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | RSA (1024-4096+) | Completely broken by Shor’s algorithm | Migrate to ML-KEM (Key Gen) or ML-DSA (Signatures) |
| Critical | ECDSA / ECC | Completely broken (all curves) | Migrate to ML-DSA |
| Critical | DH / ECDH | Key exchange broken | Migrate to ML-KEM |
| High | SHA-1 / MD5 | Collision attacks (Classical & Quantum) | Upgrade to SHA-256 or higher |
| Medium | SHA-256 | Security reduced to 128-bit by Grover’s | Plan migration to SHA-3 |
| Low | AES-256 | Quantum-resistant (128-bit security) | Safe for continued use |
| Low | ML-KEM / ML-DSA | Post-quantum secure | NIST Standardized (Recommended) |
Integration and Usage
Designed for immediate integration, the tool can be installed via PyPI (pip install crypto-scanner). Developers can run a scan on their current directory with a single command:
bashcrypto-scanner scan . --html --output quantum-risk-report.html
This generates a self-contained HTML report visualising the risk distribution. For enterprise teams, the tool includes pre-built configurations for CI/CD, allowing organisations to fail builds if critical quantum-vulnerable cryptography, such as RSA key generation, is detected in new pull requests.
By providing an automated inventory of cryptographic assets, Crypto Scanner allows organizations to meet emerging compliance mandates such as CNSA 2.0 and prevent the accumulation of “quantum debt” in modern software projects.
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