An Improved Threshold Ring Signature Scheme Based on Error Correcting Codes

Abstract. The concept of threshold ring signature in code-based cryptography was introduced by Aguilar et al. in [1]. Their proposal uses Stern’s identification scheme as basis. In this paper we construct a novel threshold ring signature scheme built on the q-SD identification scheme recently proposed by Cayrel et al. in [14]. Our proposed scheme benefits of a performance gain as a result of the reduction in the soundness error from 2/3 for Stern’s scheme to 1/2 per round for the q-SD scheme. Our threshold ring signature scheme uses random linear codes over the field Fq, secure in the random oracle model and its security relies on the hardness of an error-correcting codes problem (namely the q-ary syndrome decoding problem). In this paper we also provide implementation results of the Aguilar et al. scheme and our proposal, this is the first efficient implementation of this type of code-based schemes

Signing with Codes

Code-based cryptography is an area of classical cryptography in which cryptographic primitives rely on hard problems and trapdoor functions related to linear error-correcting codes. Since its inception in 1978, the area has produced the McEliece and the Niederreiter cryptosystems, multiple digital signature schemes, identification schemes and code-based hash functions. All of these are believed to be resistant to attacks by quantum computers. Hence, code-based cryptography represents a post-quantum alternative to the widespread number-theoretic systems. This thesis summarizes recent developments in the field of code-based cryptography, with a particular emphasis on code-based signature schemes. After a brief introduction and analysis of the McEliece and the Niederreiter cryptosystems, we discuss the currently unresolved issue of constructing a practical, yet provably secure signature scheme. A detailed analysis is provided for the Courtois, Finiasz and Sendrier signature scheme, along with the mCFS and parallel CFS variations. Finally, we discuss a recent proposal by Preetha et al. that attempts to solve the issue of provable security, currently failing in the CFS scheme case, by randomizing the public key construct. We conclude that, while the proposal is not yet practical, it represents an important advancement in the search for an ideal code-based signature scheme