feat(core+host): negotiate ChaCha20-Poly1305 as the session cipher for soft-AES clients

Lifts the ~100 Mbps decrypt ceiling on clients without hardware AES — the
armv7 soft-AES targets (webOS TVs), where AES-128-GCM resolves to fixsliced
software AES + software GHASH (~50-100 cpb) while ChaCha20-Poly1305's ARX
construction runs ~10-17 cpb portable, a 4-7x lift that PyroWave-on-TV needs
(design/chacha20-session-cipher.md).

Phase 1 (core crypto, no wire change): SessionKey merges cipher choice and
key material (invalid combinations unrepresentable, zeroize + redacted-Debug
discipline kept); SessionCrypto dispatches both aead-0.5 ciphers per call —
the salt||seq nonce scheme, per-direction salts, seq-as-AAD and replay
window carry over verbatim (same 96-bit nonce / 16-byte tag, const-asserted).
Config.key becomes SessionKey; validate's zero-key rejection follows the
active variant. The C ABI keeps its fixed 16-byte key mapped to AES — no
ABI_VERSION bump.

Phase 2 (negotiation): VIDEO_CAP_CHACHA20 (0x40) — support-plus-request in
one bit, the VIDEO_CAP_444 precedent. Welcome grows cipher@68 +
key_chacha@69..101, emitted only when non-zero so an AES session's Welcome
stays byte-identical to the pre-cipher form; decode is fail-closed (short
key or unknown id -> Err, never a silent AES fallback). No WIRE_VERSION
bump; downgrade resistance inherited from the pinned-TLS control channel.

Phase 3 (host): grant only when the client advertised the bit and the
PUNKTFUNK_CHACHA20 kill-switch (default on, documented) allows; fresh
32-byte per-session key from the same RNG discipline, legacy key field
stays independently random; resolved cipher logged at session start.

Verification: seal/open suites parameterized over both ciphers + a
cross-cipher tamper case; Welcome roundtrip/truncation/fail-closed tests;
ChaCha lossy-loopback soak (loss/replay is cipher-independent); bench
gains _chacha20 series (AES ids unchanged for CI history) — host-side
sealing line-rate-trivial on both x86 (~640 MiB/s) and Apple Silicon
(~535 MiB/s). punktfunk-probe drives the interop matrix via
PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_CHACHA20=1 and logs the negotiated cipher.

Phase 4 (pf-webos pin bump + unconditional cap bit) follows the next
core release.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/punktfunk-core/src/abi.rs

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 //! - Panics never cross the boundary: every entry point is wrapped in `catch_unwind`.
 
 use crate::config::{Config, FecConfig, FecScheme, ProtocolPhase, Role};
+use crate::crypto::SessionKey;
 use crate::error::PunktfunkStatus;
 use crate::input::InputEvent;
 use crate::reanchor::{GateVerdict, ReanchorGate};
@@ -94,7 +95,10 @@ impl PunktfunkConfig {
             shard_payload: self.shard_payload as usize,
             max_frame_bytes,
             encrypt: self.encrypt != 0,
-            key: self.key,
+            // The C ABI keeps its fixed 16-byte key and always selects AES-128-GCM — no
+            // ABI_VERSION bump. Raw-`Config` C embedders can't negotiate ChaCha; the Swift/
+            // Kotlin clients are aarch64 with AES CE and never want it.
+            key: SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(self.key),
             salt: self.salt,
             loopback_drop_period: self.loopback_drop_period,
         };

crates/punktfunk-core/src/config.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //! Session configuration and protocol/FEC parameters.
 
+use crate::crypto::SessionKey;
 use crate::error::{PunktfunkError, Result};
 use crate::packet::{CRYPTO_OVERHEAD, HEADER_LEN, MAX_DATAGRAM_BYTES};
 use zeroize::Zeroize;
@@ -355,9 +356,11 @@ pub struct Config {
     /// hostile/​corrupt headers; see [`Session`](crate::session::Session)).
     pub max_frame_bytes: usize,
     pub encrypt: bool,
-    /// AES-128 session key established during pairing. MUST be unique per session when
+    /// The negotiated session AEAD + its key, established during pairing/handshake —
+    /// AES-128-GCM for every peer by default, ChaCha20-Poly1305 when the client negotiated it
+    /// (soft-AES armv7 targets; see [`SessionKey`]). MUST be unique per session when
     /// `encrypt` is set (see the nonce-uniqueness contract in [`crate::crypto`]).
-    pub key: [u8; 16],
+    pub key: SessionKey,
     /// Per-session nonce salt, established alongside `key` during pairing. MUST be
     /// unique per (key, session).
     pub salt: [u8; 4],
@@ -382,7 +385,8 @@ impl std::fmt::Debug for Config {
             .field("shard_payload", &self.shard_payload)
             .field("max_frame_bytes", &self.max_frame_bytes)
             .field("encrypt", &self.encrypt)
-            .field("key", &"<redacted>")
+            // SessionKey's own Debug redacts the material but keeps the cipher choice visible.
+            .field("key", &self.key)
             .field("salt", &"<redacted>")
             .field("loopback_drop_period", &self.loopback_drop_period)
             .finish()
@@ -426,7 +430,7 @@ impl Config {
                 "max_frame_bytes too large for this shard/block configuration (block count overflows u16)",
             ));
         }
-        if self.encrypt && self.key == [0u8; 16] {
+        if self.encrypt && self.key.is_zero() {
             return Err(PunktfunkError::InvalidArg(
                 "encrypt requires a non-zero session key (see crypto nonce-uniqueness contract)",
             ));
@@ -449,7 +453,7 @@ impl Config {
             shard_payload: 1024,
             max_frame_bytes: 64 * 1024 * 1024,
             encrypt: false,
-            key: [0u8; 16],
+            key: SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([0u8; 16]),
             salt: [0u8; 4],
             loopback_drop_period: 0,
         }
@@ -465,7 +469,12 @@ mod tests {
         let mut c = Config::p1_defaults(Role::Host);
         c.encrypt = true; // key is still all-zero
         assert!(c.validate().is_err());
-        c.key = [1u8; 16];
+        c.key = SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([1u8; 16]);
+        assert!(c.validate().is_ok());
+        // The rejection follows whichever cipher variant is active.
+        c.key = SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305([0u8; 32]);
+        assert!(c.validate().is_err());
+        c.key = SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305([1u8; 32]);
         assert!(c.validate().is_ok());
     }
 

crates/punktfunk-core/src/crypto.rs

@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-//! AES-128-GCM session sealing, matching GameStream's video crypto in P1.
+//! Session sealing with the negotiated AEAD — AES-128-GCM (matching GameStream's video
+//! crypto in P1) by default, ChaCha20-Poly1305 (RFC 8439) for clients without hardware AES.
 //!
-//! ## Nonce uniqueness (the GCM safety requirement)
+//! ## Nonce uniqueness (the AEAD safety requirement)
 //!
 //! The 96-bit nonce is `salt (4 bytes) || sequence (8 bytes, big-endian)`. Reusing a
-//! `(key, nonce)` pair under AES-GCM is catastrophic, so two precautions apply:
+//! `(key, nonce)` pair is catastrophic under either AEAD, so two precautions apply:
 //!
 //! 1. **Per-direction salts.** Host and client share one `key` and `salt`, and each
 //!    counts its sequence from 0. To stop the host's video stream and the client's input
@@ -17,17 +18,96 @@
 //! The sequence number is also passed as AEAD associated data, so tampering with the
 //! on-wire sequence is detected (the tag check fails) rather than silently shifting the
 //! nonce. Note: this layer does not provide anti-replay — see `Session`.
+//!
+//! ## Why two ciphers
+//!
+//! Both AEADs are full-strength; the choice (negotiated via `Welcome::cipher`) is purely a
+//! performance one. On targets without hardware AES — the soft-AES armv7 clients (webOS TVs) —
+//! GCM's fixsliced AES + software GHASH costs ~50–100 cycles/byte and caps decrypt at
+//! ~100 Mbps, while ChaCha20-Poly1305's ARX construction runs ~10–17 cycles/byte in portable
+//! software (design/chacha20-session-cipher.md). Same 96-bit nonce, 16-byte tag, and AAD
+//! shape, so the entire nonce discipline above carries over verbatim.
 
 use crate::config::Role;
 use crate::error::{PunktfunkError, Result};
 use aes_gcm::aead::{Aead, AeadInPlace, KeyInit, Payload};
 use aes_gcm::{Aes128Gcm, Key, Nonce};
+use chacha20poly1305::ChaCha20Poly1305;
+use zeroize::Zeroize;
 
-/// 16-byte AEAD authentication tag appended by GCM.
+/// 16-byte AEAD authentication tag appended by either session cipher.
 pub const TAG_LEN: usize = 16;
 
+// The wire (CRYPTO_OVERHEAD) and every in-place split assume both negotiated AEADs append
+// exactly TAG_LEN bytes — a different-tag cipher can never slip in behind this constant.
+const _: () = assert!(std::mem::size_of::<aes_gcm::Tag>() == TAG_LEN);
+const _: () = assert!(std::mem::size_of::<chacha20poly1305::Tag>() == TAG_LEN);
+
+/// The negotiated session AEAD together with its key material — merged so the invalid state
+/// (a ChaCha cipher with an AES-sized key, or vice versa) is unrepresentable. AES-128-GCM is
+/// the default every peer speaks; ChaCha20-Poly1305 is granted to clients that advertised
+/// [`VIDEO_CAP_CHACHA20`](crate::quic::VIDEO_CAP_CHACHA20) (the soft-AES armv7 targets —
+/// see the module docs). 256 bits for ChaCha is what RFC 8439 requires.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum SessionKey {
+    Aes128Gcm([u8; 16]),
+    ChaCha20Poly1305([u8; 32]),
+}
+
+impl SessionKey {
+    /// Canonical lowercase cipher name for session-start logs.
+    pub fn cipher_name(&self) -> &'static str {
+        match self {
+            SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(_) => "aes-128-gcm",
+            SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(_) => "chacha20-poly1305",
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// True when the key material is all zeros — the pairing-layer footgun `Config::validate`
+    /// rejects when encryption is on (see the nonce-uniqueness contract in the module docs).
+    pub fn is_zero(&self) -> bool {
+        match self {
+            SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(k) => k == &[0u8; 16],
+            SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(k) => k == &[0u8; 32],
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Key material never appears in logs, whichever variant is active — only the cipher choice
+/// (`Config`'s hand-written `Debug` relies on this).
+impl std::fmt::Debug for SessionKey {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(_) => f.write_str("Aes128Gcm(<redacted>)"),
+            SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(_) => f.write_str("ChaCha20Poly1305(<redacted>)"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Same zeroize-on-drop discipline the raw key array had (`Config`'s `Drop`).
+impl Zeroize for SessionKey {
+    fn zeroize(&mut self) {
+        match self {
+            SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(k) => k.zeroize(),
+            SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(k) => k.zeroize(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// The two negotiated AEADs behind one seal/open surface. Both are the same RustCrypto
+/// `aead 0.5` generation (identical trait shapes, nonce/tag types), so each call below is a
+/// two-arm match right next to the cipher work itself.
+// AES's precomputed round keys (~0.7 KB) dwarf ChaCha's 32-byte state, but there is exactly
+// one long-lived `SessionCrypto` per session — boxing the variant would trade that one-off
+// slack for a pointer chase on every per-datagram seal/open.
+#[allow(clippy::large_enum_variant)]
+enum Cipher {
+    Aes128Gcm(Aes128Gcm),
+    ChaCha20Poly1305(ChaCha20Poly1305),
+}
+
 pub struct SessionCrypto {
-    cipher: Aes128Gcm,
+    cipher: Cipher,
     /// Salt for nonces we seal with (our direction).
     send_salt: [u8; 4],
     /// Salt for nonces we open with (the peer's direction).
@@ -35,11 +115,18 @@ pub struct SessionCrypto {
 }
 
 impl SessionCrypto {
-    pub fn new(key: &[u8; 16], salt: [u8; 4], role: Role) -> Self {
-        let key = Key::<Aes128Gcm>::from_slice(key);
+    pub fn new(key: &SessionKey, salt: [u8; 4], role: Role) -> Self {
+        let cipher = match key {
+            SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(k) => {
+                Cipher::Aes128Gcm(Aes128Gcm::new(Key::<Aes128Gcm>::from_slice(k)))
+            }
+            SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(k) => Cipher::ChaCha20Poly1305(ChaCha20Poly1305::new(
+                Key::<ChaCha20Poly1305>::from_slice(k),
+            )),
+        };
         let own = direction(role);
         SessionCrypto {
-            cipher: Aes128Gcm::new(key),
+            cipher,
             send_salt: dir_salt(salt, own),
             recv_salt: dir_salt(salt, own ^ 1),
         }
@@ -49,15 +136,16 @@ impl SessionCrypto {
     /// authenticated as associated data.
     pub fn seal(&self, seq: u64, plaintext: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
         let nonce = nonce(self.send_salt, seq);
-        self.cipher
-            .encrypt(
-                Nonce::from_slice(&nonce),
-                Payload {
-                    msg: plaintext,
-                    aad: &seq.to_be_bytes(),
-                },
-            )
-            .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)
+        let aad = seq.to_be_bytes();
+        let payload = Payload {
+            msg: plaintext,
+            aad: &aad,
+        };
+        match &self.cipher {
+            Cipher::Aes128Gcm(c) => c.encrypt(Nonce::from_slice(&nonce), payload),
+            Cipher::ChaCha20Poly1305(c) => c.encrypt(Nonce::from_slice(&nonce), payload),
+        }
+        .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)
     }
 
     /// Seal in place, no per-packet allocation: `buf` is laid out as `[plaintext .. ][TAG_LEN]` (the
@@ -69,10 +157,16 @@ impl SessionCrypto {
         let nonce = nonce(self.send_salt, seq);
         let split = buf.len() - TAG_LEN;
         let (plaintext, tag_slot) = buf.split_at_mut(split);
-        let tag = self
-            .cipher
-            .encrypt_in_place_detached(Nonce::from_slice(&nonce), &seq.to_be_bytes(), plaintext)
-            .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)?;
+        let aad = seq.to_be_bytes();
+        let tag = match &self.cipher {
+            Cipher::Aes128Gcm(c) => {
+                c.encrypt_in_place_detached(Nonce::from_slice(&nonce), &aad, plaintext)
+            }
+            Cipher::ChaCha20Poly1305(c) => {
+                c.encrypt_in_place_detached(Nonce::from_slice(&nonce), &aad, plaintext)
+            }
+        }
+        .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)?;
         tag_slot.copy_from_slice(&tag);
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -80,20 +174,21 @@ impl SessionCrypto {
     /// Open `ciphertext || tag` for sequence `seq` (also bound as associated data).
     pub fn open(&self, seq: u64, ciphertext: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
         let nonce = nonce(self.recv_salt, seq);
-        self.cipher
-            .decrypt(
-                Nonce::from_slice(&nonce),
-                Payload {
-                    msg: ciphertext,
-                    aad: &seq.to_be_bytes(),
-                },
-            )
-            .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)
+        let aad = seq.to_be_bytes();
+        let payload = Payload {
+            msg: ciphertext,
+            aad: &aad,
+        };
+        match &self.cipher {
+            Cipher::Aes128Gcm(c) => c.decrypt(Nonce::from_slice(&nonce), payload),
+            Cipher::ChaCha20Poly1305(c) => c.decrypt(Nonce::from_slice(&nonce), payload),
+        }
+        .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)
     }
 
     /// Open in place, no per-packet allocation: `buf` holds `[ciphertext .. ][tag]` on entry and
     /// the plaintext in its first `buf.len() - TAG_LEN` bytes on success (returned as the length)
-    /// — byte-identical to `open`, just written in place. GCM verifies the tag *before*
+    /// — byte-identical to `open`, just written in place. Both AEADs verify the tag *before*
     /// decrypting, so on failure `buf` still holds the ciphertext (the caller drops the packet
     /// either way). The hot-path receiver (`Session::poll_frame`) uses this to avoid the `Vec`
     /// that `open`'s convenience API allocates for every datagram at line rate — the receive
@@ -105,14 +200,22 @@ impl SessionCrypto {
         let nonce = nonce(self.recv_salt, seq);
         let split = buf.len() - TAG_LEN;
         let (ciphertext, tag) = buf.split_at_mut(split);
-        self.cipher
-            .decrypt_in_place_detached(
+        let aad = seq.to_be_bytes();
+        match &self.cipher {
+            Cipher::Aes128Gcm(c) => c.decrypt_in_place_detached(
                 Nonce::from_slice(&nonce),
-                &seq.to_be_bytes(),
+                &aad,
                 ciphertext,
                 aes_gcm::Tag::from_slice(tag),
-            )
-            .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)?;
+            ),
+            Cipher::ChaCha20Poly1305(c) => c.decrypt_in_place_detached(
+                Nonce::from_slice(&nonce),
+                &aad,
+                ciphertext,
+                chacha20poly1305::Tag::from_slice(tag),
+            ),
+        }
+        .map_err(|_| PunktfunkError::Crypto)?;
         Ok(split)
     }
 }
@@ -145,6 +248,13 @@ pub fn random_key() -> [u8; 16] {
     k
 }
 
+/// Generate a fresh random ChaCha20-Poly1305 session key (RFC 8439's 256-bit size).
+pub fn random_key32() -> [u8; 32] {
+    let mut k = [0u8; 32];
+    rand::RngCore::fill_bytes(&mut rand::rng(), &mut k);
+    k
+}
+
 /// Generate a fresh random per-session nonce salt.
 pub fn random_salt() -> [u8; 4] {
     let mut s = [0u8; 4];
@@ -156,93 +266,143 @@ pub fn random_salt() -> [u8; 4] {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    /// One fresh key per negotiated cipher — every sealing test below must hold for both.
+    fn both_keys() -> [SessionKey; 2] {
+        [
+            SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(random_key()),
+            SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(random_key32()),
+        ]
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn seal_open_roundtrip_cross_direction() {
-        let key = random_key();
-        let salt = random_salt();
-        let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
-        let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
+        for key in both_keys() {
+            let salt = random_salt();
+            let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
+            let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
 
-        let msg = b"the quick brown fox";
-        let sealed = host.seal(42, msg).unwrap(); // host -> client (video direction)
-        assert_ne!(&sealed[..msg.len()], &msg[..]); // actually encrypted
-        assert_eq!(sealed.len(), msg.len() + TAG_LEN);
-        assert_eq!(client.open(42, &sealed).unwrap(), msg);
+            let msg = b"the quick brown fox";
+            let sealed = host.seal(42, msg).unwrap(); // host -> client (video direction)
+            assert_ne!(&sealed[..msg.len()], &msg[..]); // actually encrypted
+            assert_eq!(sealed.len(), msg.len() + TAG_LEN);
+            assert_eq!(client.open(42, &sealed).unwrap(), msg);
 
-        // Wrong sequence (nonce + AAD) → authentication failure.
-        assert!(client.open(43, &sealed).is_err());
-        // Direction separation: the host opens with the peer (client) salt, so it cannot
-        // open its own outbound packet → distinct nonce spaces per direction.
-        assert!(host.open(42, &sealed).is_err());
+            // Wrong sequence (nonce + AAD) → authentication failure.
+            assert!(client.open(43, &sealed).is_err());
+            // Direction separation: the host opens with the peer (client) salt, so it cannot
+            // open its own outbound packet → distinct nonce spaces per direction.
+            assert!(host.open(42, &sealed).is_err());
+        }
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn directions_use_distinct_nonce_spaces() {
-        let key = random_key();
-        let salt = [0u8; 4]; // even an all-zero base salt must separate the directions
-        let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
-        let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
-        // Same seq, same key, opposite directions → different ciphertext (no reuse).
-        assert_ne!(
-            host.seal(0, b"abc").unwrap(),
-            client.seal(0, b"abc").unwrap()
-        );
+        for key in both_keys() {
+            let salt = [0u8; 4]; // even an all-zero base salt must separate the directions
+            let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
+            let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
+            // Same seq, same key, opposite directions → different ciphertext (no reuse).
+            assert_ne!(
+                host.seal(0, b"abc").unwrap(),
+                client.seal(0, b"abc").unwrap()
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn open_in_place_matches_open_and_rejects_tampering() {
-        let key = random_key();
-        let salt = random_salt();
-        let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
-        let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
-        for msg in [
-            &b""[..],
-            b"x",
-            b"the quick brown fox jumps over 13 lazy dogs!!",
-        ] {
-            let sealed = host.seal(9, msg).unwrap();
-            let mut buf = sealed.clone();
-            let n = client.open_in_place(9, &mut buf).unwrap();
-            assert_eq!(
-                &buf[..n],
-                msg,
-                "in-place open must be byte-identical to open"
-            );
-            // Wrong sequence (nonce + AAD) → authentication failure, like `open`.
-            let mut buf = sealed.clone();
-            assert!(client.open_in_place(8, &mut buf).is_err());
-            // A flipped ciphertext/tag bit → authentication failure.
-            let mut buf = sealed.clone();
-            let last = buf.len() - 1;
-            buf[last] ^= 1;
-            assert!(client.open_in_place(9, &mut buf).is_err());
+        for key in both_keys() {
+            let salt = random_salt();
+            let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
+            let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
+            for msg in [
+                &b""[..],
+                b"x",
+                b"the quick brown fox jumps over 13 lazy dogs!!",
+            ] {
+                let sealed = host.seal(9, msg).unwrap();
+                let mut buf = sealed.clone();
+                let n = client.open_in_place(9, &mut buf).unwrap();
+                assert_eq!(
+                    &buf[..n],
+                    msg,
+                    "in-place open must be byte-identical to open"
+                );
+                // Wrong sequence (nonce + AAD) → authentication failure, like `open`.
+                let mut buf = sealed.clone();
+                assert!(client.open_in_place(8, &mut buf).is_err());
+                // A flipped ciphertext/tag bit → authentication failure.
+                let mut buf = sealed.clone();
+                let last = buf.len() - 1;
+                buf[last] ^= 1;
+                assert!(client.open_in_place(9, &mut buf).is_err());
+            }
+            // Shorter than a tag can't be a sealed packet at all.
+            let mut runt = vec![0u8; TAG_LEN - 1];
+            assert!(client.open_in_place(0, &mut runt).is_err());
         }
-        // Shorter than a tag can't be a sealed packet at all.
-        let mut runt = vec![0u8; TAG_LEN - 1];
-        assert!(client.open_in_place(0, &mut runt).is_err());
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn seal_in_place_matches_seal_and_opens() {
-        let key = random_key();
-        let salt = random_salt();
-        let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
-        let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
-        for msg in [
-            &b""[..],
-            b"x",
-            b"the quick brown fox jumps over 13 lazy dogs!!",
-        ] {
-            let reference = host.seal(7, msg).unwrap(); // ciphertext || tag
-                                                        // In-place: [plaintext .. ][TAG_LEN scratch].
-            let mut buf = msg.to_vec();
-            buf.resize(msg.len() + TAG_LEN, 0);
-            host.seal_in_place(7, &mut buf).unwrap();
-            assert_eq!(
-                buf, reference,
-                "in-place seal must be byte-identical to seal"
-            );
-            assert_eq!(client.open(7, &buf).unwrap(), msg);
+        for key in both_keys() {
+            let salt = random_salt();
+            let host = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Host);
+            let client = SessionCrypto::new(&key, salt, Role::Client);
+            for msg in [
+                &b""[..],
+                b"x",
+                b"the quick brown fox jumps over 13 lazy dogs!!",
+            ] {
+                let reference = host.seal(7, msg).unwrap(); // ciphertext || tag
+                                                            // In-place: [plaintext .. ][TAG_LEN scratch].
+                let mut buf = msg.to_vec();
+                buf.resize(msg.len() + TAG_LEN, 0);
+                host.seal_in_place(7, &mut buf).unwrap();
+                assert_eq!(
+                    buf, reference,
+                    "in-place seal must be byte-identical to seal"
+                );
+                assert_eq!(client.open(7, &buf).unwrap(), msg);
+            }
         }
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn ciphers_are_not_interchangeable() {
+        // A packet sealed under one AEAD must not open under the other — negotiation skew has
+        // to fail loudly (a tag mismatch), never decode garbage. The ChaCha key repeats the AES
+        // key bytes so even overlapping key material can't accidentally interoperate.
+        let salt = random_salt();
+        let aes = SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([7u8; 16]);
+        let chacha = SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305([7u8; 32]);
+        let sealed = SessionCrypto::new(&aes, salt, Role::Host)
+            .seal(1, b"cross-cipher")
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(SessionCrypto::new(&chacha, salt, Role::Client)
+            .open(1, &sealed)
+            .is_err());
+        let sealed = SessionCrypto::new(&chacha, salt, Role::Host)
+            .seal(1, b"cross-cipher")
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(SessionCrypto::new(&aes, salt, Role::Client)
+            .open(1, &sealed)
+            .is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn session_key_zero_check_and_debug_redaction() {
+        assert!(SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([0u8; 16]).is_zero());
+        assert!(SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305([0u8; 32]).is_zero());
+        assert!(!SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([1u8; 16]).is_zero());
+        assert!(!SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305([1u8; 32]).is_zero());
+        // Key bytes must never reach a log, whichever variant — only the cipher choice.
+        for key in both_keys() {
+            let dbg = format!("{key:?}");
+            assert!(dbg.contains("<redacted>"), "{dbg}");
+        }
+        let mut k = SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305([9u8; 32]);
+        k.zeroize();
+        assert!(k.is_zero());
+    }
 }

crates/punktfunk-core/src/packet/tests.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use super::reassemble::LOSS_WINDOW_NS;
 use super::*;
 use crate::config::{Config, FecScheme};
+use crate::crypto::SessionKey;
 use crate::fec::coder_for;
 use crate::stats::StatsCounters;
 use zerocopy::{FromBytes, IntoBytes};
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ fn explicit_frame_index_is_stamped_and_internal_counter_untouched() {
         shard_payload: 16,
         max_frame_bytes: 4096,
         encrypt: false,
-        key: [0u8; 16],
+        key: SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([0u8; 16]),
         salt: [0u8; 4],
         loopback_drop_period: 0,
     };
@@ -292,7 +293,7 @@ fn e2e_config(scheme: FecScheme, fec_percent: u8) -> Config {
         shard_payload: 16,
         max_frame_bytes: 4096,
         encrypt: false,
-        key: [0u8; 16],
+        key: SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([0u8; 16]),
         salt: [0u8; 4],
         loopback_drop_period: 0,
     }

crates/punktfunk-core/src/quic/caps.rs

@@ -44,6 +44,17 @@ pub const VIDEO_CAP_PROBE_SEQ: u8 = 0x10;
 /// bit; every other client gets today's whole-AU path (chunks concatenated before sealing), so
 /// the fallback is zero-risk.
 pub const VIDEO_CAP_STREAMED_AU: u8 = 0x20;
+/// [`Hello::video_caps`] bit: the client can open **ChaCha20-Poly1305**-sealed session datagrams
+/// AND requests them — set by clients without hardware AES (the soft-AES armv7 targets, e.g.
+/// webOS TVs), where GCM's software AES + GHASH caps decrypt at ~100 Mbps while ChaCha's ARX
+/// construction runs 4–7× faster in portable code (design/chacha20-session-cipher.md).
+/// Support-plus-request in one bit mirrors [`VIDEO_CAP_444`]'s "capable AND turned on"
+/// precedent. The host grants it only when its `PUNKTFUNK_CHACHA20` kill-switch (default on)
+/// allows, answering with [`Welcome::cipher`] `= 1` + the 32-byte [`Welcome::key_chacha`];
+/// toward every other client the Welcome stays byte-identical AES-128-GCM. Purely a
+/// performance choice — both AEADs are full-strength, and Hello/Welcome ride the pinned-TLS
+/// control channel, so there is no downgrade surface.
+pub const VIDEO_CAP_CHACHA20: u8 = 0x40;
 
 /// [`Welcome::host_caps`] bit: the host applies [`InputKind::GamepadState`]
 /// (crate::input::InputKind::GamepadState) snapshot events — full per-pad state with a reorder
@@ -225,6 +236,8 @@ mod tests {
             audio_channels: 2,
             codec: CODEC_HEVC,
             host_caps: HOST_CAP_GAMEPAD_STATE | HOST_CAP_CLIPBOARD,
+            cipher: 0,
+            key_chacha: None,
         };
         let got = Welcome::decode(&w.encode()).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(got.host_caps & HOST_CAP_CLIPBOARD, HOST_CAP_CLIPBOARD);

crates/punktfunk-core/src/quic/handshake.rs

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use super::*;
 use crate::config::{
     CompositorPref, Config, FecConfig, FecScheme, GamepadPref, Mode, ProtocolPhase, Role,
 };
+use crate::crypto::SessionKey;
 use crate::error::{PunktfunkError, Result};
 
 /// `client → host`: open the session, requesting a display mode (the host creates its
@@ -107,6 +108,13 @@ pub const HELLO_NAME_MAX: usize = 64;
 /// (`steam:<appid>` / `custom:<12 hex>`); the cap just bounds an attacker-controlled field.
 pub const HELLO_LAUNCH_MAX: usize = 128;
 
+/// [`Welcome::cipher`] id: AES-128-GCM — the default session AEAD every peer speaks (and the
+/// only one pre-cipher builds know).
+pub const CIPHER_AES_128_GCM: u8 = 0;
+/// [`Welcome::cipher`] id: ChaCha20-Poly1305 (RFC 8439) — negotiated via
+/// [`VIDEO_CAP_CHACHA20`] for clients without hardware AES.
+pub const CIPHER_CHACHA20_POLY1305: u8 = 1;
+
 /// `host → client`: the complete session offer.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct Welcome {
@@ -173,6 +181,22 @@ pub struct Welcome {
     /// per-transition events otherwise). Appended after `codec` as a single trailing byte; an
     /// older host that omits it decodes to `0` (no capabilities — legacy events only).
     pub host_caps: u8,
+    /// The session AEAD the data plane seals with — [`CIPHER_AES_128_GCM`] (`0`, the default
+    /// every peer speaks) or [`CIPHER_CHACHA20_POLY1305`] (`1`). The host sets `1` ONLY toward
+    /// a client that advertised [`VIDEO_CAP_CHACHA20`] (the soft-AES armv7 targets). Appended
+    /// after `host_caps` at offset 68 and — unlike the earlier trailing fields — emitted only
+    /// when non-zero, so an AES session's Welcome stays **byte-identical** to the pre-cipher
+    /// wire form; an older host omits it (→ `0`, AES). Decode is fail-closed: an unknown id is
+    /// an `Err`, never a silent AES fallback — the host only picks a cipher this client
+    /// advertised, so an unknown id reaching us is a bug, and falling back would yield an
+    /// undecryptable session with a confusing failure signature.
+    pub cipher: u8,
+    /// The 256-bit ChaCha20-Poly1305 session key (RFC 8439 requires the full 32 bytes; wire
+    /// cost is once per handshake) — present iff `cipher == 1`, at offsets 69..101. The legacy
+    /// 16-byte `key` keeps its offset and stays independently random, so nothing downstream
+    /// ever observes an all-zero key. Decode rejects `cipher == 1` with fewer than 32 key
+    /// bytes following.
+    pub key_chacha: Option<[u8; 32]>,
 }
 
 /// `client → host`: data plane is bound, begin streaming.
@@ -366,6 +390,21 @@ impl Welcome {
         b.push(self.codec);
         // Host input caps at offset 67 — older clients stop before this → 0 (legacy input only).
         b.push(self.host_caps);
+        // Session cipher at offset 68 + the 32-byte ChaCha key at 69..101 — emitted ONLY when a
+        // non-default cipher was negotiated, so an AES session's Welcome stays byte-identical
+        // to the pre-cipher wire form. The host only sets cipher toward a client that
+        // advertised VIDEO_CAP_CHACHA20, so an old client never sees these bytes at all.
+        debug_assert_eq!(
+            self.cipher == CIPHER_CHACHA20_POLY1305,
+            self.key_chacha.is_some(),
+            "key_chacha present iff cipher == 1"
+        );
+        if self.cipher != CIPHER_AES_128_GCM {
+            b.push(self.cipher);
+            if let Some(k) = &self.key_chacha {
+                b.extend_from_slice(k);
+            }
+        }
         b
     }
 
@@ -374,8 +413,10 @@ impl Welcome {
         // scheme[22] pct[23] max_data[24..26] shard[26..28] encrypt[28] key[29..45]
         // salt[45..49] frames[49..53] compositor[53] gamepad[54] bitrate_kbps[55..59]
         // bit_depth[59] color.primaries[60] color.transfer[61] color.matrix[62] color.range[63]
-        // chroma_format[64] audio_channels[65] codec[66] (everything from compositor on is an
-        // optional trailing byte; an older host stops earlier).
+        // chroma_format[64] audio_channels[65] codec[66] host_caps[67] cipher[68]
+        // key_chacha[69..101] (everything from compositor on is an optional trailing byte; an
+        // older host stops earlier; cipher/key_chacha are present only when ChaCha was
+        // negotiated).
         if b.len() < 53 || &b[0..4] != MAGIC {
             return Err(PunktfunkError::InvalidArg("bad Welcome"));
         }
@@ -385,6 +426,24 @@ impl Welcome {
         key.copy_from_slice(&b[29..45]);
         let mut salt = [0u8; 4];
         salt.copy_from_slice(&b[45..49]);
+        // Session cipher at 68 — absent on an older host → AES-128-GCM. Fail-closed on
+        // anything else: `cipher == 1` with fewer than 32 key bytes must be an error (a silent
+        // AES fallback would yield an undecryptable session with a confusing failure
+        // signature), and an unknown id (≥ 2) reaching us is a bug — a host only picks a
+        // cipher this client advertised — never a legitimate negotiation.
+        let cipher = b.get(68).copied().unwrap_or(CIPHER_AES_128_GCM);
+        let key_chacha = match cipher {
+            CIPHER_AES_128_GCM => None,
+            CIPHER_CHACHA20_POLY1305 => {
+                let bytes = b
+                    .get(69..101)
+                    .ok_or(PunktfunkError::InvalidArg("bad Welcome"))?;
+                let mut k = [0u8; 32];
+                k.copy_from_slice(bytes);
+                Some(k)
+            }
+            _ => return Err(PunktfunkError::InvalidArg("bad Welcome")),
+        };
         Ok(Welcome {
             abi_version: u32at(4),
             udp_port: u16at(8),
@@ -452,6 +511,8 @@ impl Welcome {
             // Optional trailing host-caps byte — absent on an older host → 0 (no gamepad-state
             // snapshots; the client keeps sending legacy per-transition events).
             host_caps: b.get(67).copied().unwrap_or(0),
+            cipher,
+            key_chacha,
         })
     }
 
@@ -462,7 +523,12 @@ impl Welcome {
         c.fec = self.fec;
         c.shard_payload = self.shard_payload as usize;
         c.encrypt = self.encrypt;
-        c.key = self.key;
+        // The negotiated AEAD: the ChaCha key when cipher == 1 (guaranteed present by decode —
+        // the `(1, None)` shape is unreachable off the wire), the legacy AES key otherwise.
+        c.key = match (self.cipher, self.key_chacha) {
+            (CIPHER_CHACHA20_POLY1305, Some(k)) => SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(k),
+            _ => SessionKey::Aes128Gcm(self.key),
+        };
         c.salt = self.salt;
         // Client-side reassembler ceiling: p1_defaults' 64 MiB hostile-header memory bound is
         // ~10x larger than any real access unit. Derive it from the negotiated rate instead:
@@ -531,6 +597,8 @@ mod tests {
             audio_channels: 2,
             codec: CODEC_H264, // exercise a non-default codec through the roundtrip
             host_caps: HOST_CAP_GAMEPAD_STATE,
+            cipher: 0,
+            key_chacha: None,
         };
         assert_eq!(Welcome::decode(&w.encode()).unwrap(), w);
 
@@ -564,6 +632,81 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(derived > (8 << 20) && derived < (64 << 20));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn welcome_cipher_negotiation_wire_and_back_compat() {
+        use crate::crypto::SessionKey;
+        let base = Welcome {
+            abi_version: 2,
+            udp_port: 7000,
+            mode: Mode {
+                width: 1920,
+                height: 1080,
+                refresh_hz: 60,
+            },
+            fec: FecConfig {
+                scheme: FecScheme::Gf16,
+                fec_percent: 20,
+                max_data_per_block: 4096,
+            },
+            shard_payload: 1200,
+            encrypt: true,
+            key: [7u8; 16],
+            salt: [9, 8, 7, 6],
+            frames: 0,
+            compositor: CompositorPref::Auto,
+            gamepad: GamepadPref::Auto,
+            bitrate_kbps: 50_000,
+            bit_depth: 8,
+            color: ColorInfo::SDR_BT709,
+            chroma_format: CHROMA_IDC_420,
+            audio_channels: 2,
+            codec: CODEC_HEVC,
+            host_caps: 0,
+            cipher: CIPHER_AES_128_GCM,
+            key_chacha: None,
+        };
+        // An AES session's Welcome is byte-identical to the pre-cipher wire form (68 bytes) —
+        // the old-client × new-host interop guarantee.
+        let enc = base.encode();
+        assert_eq!(enc.len(), 68);
+        assert_eq!(Welcome::decode(&enc).unwrap(), base);
+
+        // ChaCha roundtrip: cipher byte at 68, the 32-byte key at 69..101.
+        let k32: [u8; 32] = core::array::from_fn(|i| i as u8 + 1);
+        let cha = Welcome {
+            cipher: CIPHER_CHACHA20_POLY1305,
+            key_chacha: Some(k32),
+            ..base
+        };
+        let cenc = cha.encode();
+        assert_eq!(cenc.len(), 68 + 1 + 32);
+        assert_eq!(Welcome::decode(&cenc).unwrap(), cha);
+
+        // A truncated old-host Welcome (no cipher byte) decodes to the AES default.
+        let old_host = Welcome::decode(&cenc[..68]).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(old_host.cipher, CIPHER_AES_128_GCM);
+        assert_eq!(old_host.key_chacha, None);
+
+        // cipher == 1 with a missing / short key → Err, fail-closed (a silent AES fallback
+        // would yield an undecryptable session with a confusing failure signature).
+        assert!(Welcome::decode(&cenc[..69]).is_err());
+        assert!(Welcome::decode(&cenc[..100]).is_err());
+
+        // An unknown cipher id (≥ 2) → Err: the host only picks a cipher we advertised, so an
+        // unknown id reaching us is a bug, never a legitimate negotiation.
+        let mut bad = cenc.clone();
+        bad[68] = 2;
+        assert!(Welcome::decode(&bad).is_err());
+
+        // session_config maps both variants onto the data-plane key, and both validate.
+        let aes_cfg = base.session_config(Role::Client);
+        assert_eq!(aes_cfg.key, SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([7u8; 16]));
+        aes_cfg.validate().expect("AES config validates");
+        let cha_cfg = cha.session_config(Role::Client);
+        assert_eq!(cha_cfg.key, SessionKey::ChaCha20Poly1305(k32));
+        cha_cfg.validate().expect("ChaCha config validates");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn codec_negotiation_and_back_compat() {
         // resolve_codec precedence (HEVC > AV1 > H.264), no preference (0).
@@ -656,6 +799,8 @@ mod tests {
                 audio_channels: 2,
                 codec: CODEC_PYROWAVE,
                 host_caps: 0,
+                cipher: 0,
+                key_chacha: None,
             }
             .encode(),
         )
@@ -726,6 +871,8 @@ mod tests {
                 audio_channels: 2,
                 codec: CODEC_H264,
                 host_caps: 0,
+                cipher: 0,
+                key_chacha: None,
             }
             .encode(),
         )
@@ -831,6 +978,8 @@ mod tests {
             audio_channels: 6, // 5.1 — exercises the non-default trailing byte
             codec: CODEC_HEVC,
             host_caps: HOST_CAP_GAMEPAD_STATE,
+            cipher: 0,
+            key_chacha: None,
         };
         let wenc = w.encode();
         assert_eq!(wenc.len(), 68); // 60 base + 4 colour + chroma + audio-channels + codec + host-caps

crates/punktfunk-core/src/session.rs

@@ -781,6 +781,7 @@ impl Session {
 mod wire_equivalence_tests {
     use super::*;
     use crate::config::{FecConfig, FecScheme, ProtocolPhase};
+    use crate::crypto::SessionKey;
     use crate::transport::loopback_pair;
 
     fn host_cfg(scheme: FecScheme, fec_percent: u8, encrypt: bool) -> Config {
@@ -798,7 +799,7 @@ mod wire_equivalence_tests {
             shard_payload: 64,
             max_frame_bytes: 8 * 1024 * 1024,
             encrypt,
-            key: [7u8; 16],
+            key: SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([7u8; 16]),
             salt: [3, 1, 4, 1],
             loopback_drop_period: 0,
         }
@@ -930,7 +931,7 @@ mod wire_equivalence_tests {
             shard_payload: 1024,
             max_frame_bytes: 8 * 1024 * 1024,
             encrypt: false,
-            key: [0u8; 16],
+            key: SessionKey::Aes128Gcm([0u8; 16]),
             salt: [0u8; 4],
             loopback_drop_period: 0,
         };