Which block cipher mode of operation prevents manipulation of ciphertext by prior ciphertext blocks?

Cipher block chaining (CBC) mode of operation enhances the security of block ciphers by ensuring that each block of ciphertext is dependent not only on the corresponding plaintext block but also on the preceding ciphertext block. This characteristic effectively prevents any manipulation of ciphertext, as an attacker would need to alter both the current ciphertext and the preceding block to maintain the integrity of the decryption process.

In CBC, the initialization vector (IV) is used for the first block, which further ensures that identical plaintext blocks will encrypt to different ciphertext blocks, depending on their position in the sequence. This interdependence makes it extremely difficult for an attacker to modify ciphertext without detection, as such alterations would lead to unpredictable changes in the decrypted output.

In contrast, other modes such as electronic codebook (ECB) do not link ciphertext blocks; thus, identical plaintext blocks yield identical ciphertext. This makes ECB less secure against manipulation. Modes like output feedback (OFB) and counter (CTR) operate in a way that sequentially processes plaintext but do not inherently prevent manipulation of the ciphertext based on previous ciphertext blocks. Therefore, CBC is uniquely effective in safeguarding against such vulnerabilities.