Logjam

9.9

A weakness in internet security that lets attackers force weaker encryption so they can read data

noun
/ˈlɔɡˌdʒæm/

Specialized

: Logjam

Examples

C. Logjam

Academic text (2002)
(See "Asylum Logjam," October 2005 ABA Journal, page 18.)

Academic text (2006)
All five accused at different times sold herbal incense from two separate storefronts, one of which closed after the Operation LogJam raids this summer.

Blog text (16)
The Logjam vulnerability allowed attackers to exploit weak cryptography in secure communications.
Security experts warned about the Logjam flaw that could downgrade connections to weaker encryption methods.
After discovering the Logjam issue, the team quickly implemented a patch to strengthen their TLS security.

Idioms

to hit a logjam

8.1

Progress stops because people disagree or something blocks it

Surface Forms

Logjam singular

Logjams plural

Morphology

Logjam = log + jam (semi-transparent) = log + jam

Formed by the compound 'log' + 'jam' meaning a blockage or obstruction; the computing sense is a metaphorical name for a security flaw and does not let learners infer the technical details.

Etymology

Logjam comes from the picture of many logs getting jammed in a river so the water stops, in other words 'stuck' or 'blocked'. Security people used the name Logjam for a TLS flaw because attackers could 'block' strong encryption and force a weaker one, just like a logjam stops a river and makes the flow weaker.