Crypt/OICQ version 1.0
=====================

   This module implements the cipher used by OICQ instant messaging protocol,
used by Tencent Technology Limited, China.

INSTALLATION

To install this module type the following:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make test
   su
   make install

DEPENDENCIES

None

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

FreeOICQ developers reverse-engineered Tencent's Win32 client binaries and
published their discovery on http://sourceforge.net/projects/foicq/.  Among
their codes are segments of assembly code for the OICQ cipher and login key
generation.

I identified the algorithm for login key generation to be MD5.

Chen Peng reverse-engineered the rest of assembly codes created by FreeOICQ and
identified the core cipher used by OICQ to be a weakened version of TEA, Tiny
Encryption Algorithm.

TEA was invented by David Wheeler and Roger Needham at Cambridge University.
They recommend using 32 rounds.  OICQ only uses 16 rounds.

COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

Copyright (c) 2003 Shufeng Tan.  All rights reserved.

This package is free software and is provided "as is" without express
or implied warranty.  It may be used, redistributed and/or modified
under the terms of the Perl Artistic License (see
http://www.perl.com/perl/misc/Artistic.html)