Security analysis of NIST-LWC contest finalists

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Informatics EngineeringTraditional cryptographic standards are designed with a desktop and server environment in mind, so, with the relatively recent proliferation of small, resource constrained devices in the Internet of Things, sensor networks, embedded systems, and more, there has been a call for lightweight cryptographic standards with security, performance and resource requirements tailored for the highly-constrained environments these devices find themselves in. In 2015 the National Institute of Standards and Technology began a Standardization Process in order to select one or more Lightweight Cryptographic algorithms. Out of the original 57 submissions ten finalists remain, with ASCON and Romulus being among the most scrutinized out of them. In this dissertation I will introduce some concepts required for easy understanding of the body of work, do an up-to-date revision on the current situation on the standardization process from a security and performance standpoint, a description of ASCON and Romulus, and new best known analysis, and a comparison of the two, with their advantages, drawbacks, and unique traits.Os padrões criptográficos tradicionais foram elaborados com um ambiente de computador e servidor em mente. Com a proliferação de dispositivos de pequenas dimensões tanto na Internet of Things, redes de sensores e sistemas embutidos, apareceu uma necessidade para se definir padrões para algoritmos de criptografia leve, com prioridades de segurança, performance e gasto de recursos equilibrados para os ambientes altamente limitados em que estes dispositivos operam. Em 2015 o National Institute of Standards and Technology lançou um processo de estandardização com o objectivo de escolher um ou mais algoritmos de criptografia leve. Das cinquenta e sete candidaturas originais sobram apenas dez finalistas, sendo ASCON e Romulus dois desses finalistas mais examinados. Nesta dissertação irei introduzir alguns conceitos necessários para uma fácil compreensão do corpo deste trabalho, assim como uma revisão atualizada da situação atual do processo de estandardização de um ponto de vista tanto de segurança como de performance, uma descrição do ASCON e do Romulus assim como as suas melhores análises recentes e uma comparação entre os dois, frisando as suas vantagens, desvantagens e aspectos únicos

Survey and Benchmark of Block Ciphers for Wireless Sensor Networks

Cryptographic algorithms play an important role in the security architecture of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Choosing the most storage- and energy-efficient block cipher is essential, due to the facts that these networks are meant to operate without human intervention for a long period of time with little energy supply, and that available storage is scarce on these sensor nodes. However, to our knowledge, no systematic work has been done in this area so far.We construct an evaluation framework in which we first identify the candidates of block ciphers suitable for WSNs, based on existing literature and authoritative recommendations. For evaluating and assessing these candidates, we not only consider the security properties but also the storage- and energy-efficiency of the candidates. Finally, based on the evaluation results, we select the most suitable ciphers for WSNs, namely Skipjack, MISTY1, and Rijndael, depending on the combination of available memory and required security (energy efficiency being implicit). In terms of operation mode, we recommend Output Feedback Mode for pairwise links but Cipher Block Chaining for group communications

Interpolation Cryptanalysis of Unbalanced Feistel Networks with Low Degree Round Functions

Arithmetisierungs-Orientierte Symmetrische Primitive (AOSPs) sprechen das bestehende Optimierungspotential bei der Auswertung von Blockchiffren und Hashfunktionen als Bestandteil von sicherer Mehrparteienberechnung, voll-homomorpher Verschlüsselung und Zero-Knowledge-Beweisen an. Die Konstruktionsweise von AOSPs unterscheidet sich von traditionellen Primitiven durch die Verwendung von algebraisch simplen Elementen. Zusätzlich sind viele Entwürfe über Primkörpern statt über Bits definiert. Aufgrund der Neuheit der Vorschläge sind eingehendes Verständnis und ausgiebige Analyse erforderlich um ihre Sicherheit zu etablieren. Algebraische Analysetechniken wie zum Beispiel Interpolationsangriffe sind die erfolgreichsten Angriffsvektoren gegen AOSPs. In dieser Arbeit generalisieren wir eine existierende Analyse, die einen Interpolationsangriff mit geringer Speicherkomplexität verwendet, um das Entwurfsmuster der neuen Chiffre GMiMC und ihrer zugehörigen Hashfunktion GMiMCHash zu untersuchen. Wir stellen eine neue Methode zur Berechnung des Schlüssels basierend auf Nullstellen eines Polynoms vor, demonstrieren Verbesserungen für die Komplexität des Angriffs durch Kombinierung mehrere Ausgaben, und wenden manche der entwickelten Techniken in einem algebraischen Korrigierender-Letzter-Block Angriff der Schwamm-Konstruktion an. Wir beantworten die offene Frage einer früheren Arbeit, ob die verwendete Art von Interpolationsangriffen generalisierbar ist, positiv. Wir nennen konkrete empfohlene untere Schranken für Parameter in den betrachteten Szenarien. Außerdem kommen wir zu dem Schluss dass GMiMC und GMiMCHash gegen die in dieser Arbeit betrachteten Interpolationsangriffe sicher sind. Weitere kryptanalytische Anstrengungen sind erforderlich um die Sicherheitsgarantien von AOSPs zu festigen

Developments in multivariate post quantum cryptography.

Ever since Shor\u27s algorithm was introduced in 1994, cryptographers have been working to develop cryptosystems that can resist known quantum computer attacks. This push for quantum attack resistant schemes is known as post quantum cryptography. Specifically, my contributions to post quantum cryptography has been to the family of schemes known as Multivariate Public Key Cryptography (MPKC), which is a very attractive candidate for digital signature standardization in the post quantum collective for a wide variety of applications. In this document I will be providing all necessary background to fully understand MPKC and post quantum cryptography as a whole. Then, I will walk through the contributions I provided in my publications relating to differential security proofs for HFEv and HFEv−, key recovery attack for all parameters of HFEm, and my newly proposed multivariate encryption scheme, HFERP

Survey on Lightweight Primitives and Protocols for RFID in Wireless Sensor Networks

The use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies is becoming widespread in all kind of wireless network-based applications. As expected, applications based on sensor networks, ad-hoc or mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) can be highly benefited from the adoption of RFID solutions. There is a strong need to employ lightweight cryptographic primitives for many security applications because of the tight cost and constrained resource requirement of sensor based networks. This paper mainly focuses on the security analysis of lightweight protocols and algorithms proposed for the security of RFID systems. A large number of research solutions have been proposed to implement lightweight cryptographic primitives and protocols in sensor and RFID integration based resource constraint networks. In this work, an overview of the currently discussed lightweight primitives and their attributes has been done. These primitives and protocols have been compared based on gate equivalents (GEs), power, technology, strengths, weaknesses and attacks. Further, an integration of primitives and protocols is compared with the possibilities of their applications in practical scenarios

Arion: Arithmetization-Oriented Permutation and Hashing from Generalized Triangular Dynamical Systems

In this paper we propose the (keyed) permutation Arion and the hash function ArionHash over $\mathbb{F}_p$ for odd and particularly large primes. The design of Arion is based on the newly introduced Generalized Triangular Dynamical System (GTDS), which provides a new algebraic framework for constructing (keyed) permutation using polynomials over a finite field. At round level Arion is the first design which is instantiated using the new GTDS. We provide extensive security analysis of our construction including algebraic cryptanalysis (e.g. interpolation and Groebner basis attacks) that are particularly decisive in assessing the security of permutations and hash functions over $\mathbb{F}_p$. From a application perspective, ArionHash is aimed for efficient implementation in zkSNARK protocols and Zero-Knowledge proof systems. For this purpose, we exploit that CCZ-equivalence of graphs can lead to a more efficient implementation of Arithmetization-Oriented primitives. We compare the efficiency of ArionHash in R1CS and Plonk settings with other hash functions such as Poseidon, Anemoi and Griffin. For demonstrating the practical efficiency of ArionHash we implemented it with the zkSNARK libraries libsnark and Dusk Network Plonk. Our result shows that ArionHash is significantly faster than Poseidon - a hash function designed for zero-knowledge proof systems. We also found that an aggressive version of ArionHash is considerably faster than Anemoi and Griffin in a practical zkSNARK setting

Envisioning the Future of Cyber Security in Post-Quantum Era: A Survey on PQ Standardization, Applications, Challenges and Opportunities

The rise of quantum computers exposes vulnerabilities in current public key cryptographic protocols, necessitating the development of secure post-quantum (PQ) schemes. Hence, we conduct a comprehensive study on various PQ approaches, covering the constructional design, structural vulnerabilities, and offer security assessments, implementation evaluations, and a particular focus on side-channel attacks. We analyze global standardization processes, evaluate their metrics in relation to real-world applications, and primarily focus on standardized PQ schemes, selected additional signature competition candidates, and PQ-secure cutting-edge schemes beyond standardization. Finally, we present visions and potential future directions for a seamless transition to the PQ era