A Security Analysis of IoT Encryption: Side-channel Cube Attack on Simeck32/64

Simeck, a lightweight block cipher has been proposed to be one of the encryption that can be employed in the Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Therefore, this paper presents the security of the Simeck32/64 block cipher against side-channel cube attack. We exhibit our attack against Simeck32/64 using the Hamming weight leakage assumption to extract linearly independent equations in key bits. We have been able to find 32 linearly independent equations in 32 key variables by only considering the second bit from the LSB of the Hamming weight leakage of the internal state on the fourth round of the cipher. This enables our attack to improve previous attacks on Simeck32/64 within side-channel attack model with better time and data complexity of 2^35 and 2^11.29 respectively.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, International Journal of Computer Networks & Communication

A new countermeasure against side-channel attacks based on hardware-software co-design

This paper aims at presenting a new countermeasure against Side-Channel Analysis (SCA) attacks, whose implementation is based on a hardware-software co-design. The hardware architecture consists of a microprocessor, which executes the algorithm using a false key, and a coprocessor that performs several operations that are necessary to retrieve the original text that was encrypted with the real key. The coprocessor hardly affects the power consumption of the device, so that any classical attack based on such power consumption would reveal a false key. Additionally, as the operations carried out by the coprocessor are performed in parallel with the microprocessor, the execution time devoted for encrypting a specific text is not affected by the proposed countermeasure. In order to verify the correctness of our proposal, the system was implemented on a Virtex 5 FPGA. Different SCA attacks were performed on several functions of AES algorithm. Experimental results show in all cases that the system is effectively protected by revealing a false encryption key.Peer ReviewedPreprin

Higher-order CIS codes

We introduce {\bf complementary information set codes} of higher-order. A binary linear code of length $tk$ and dimension $k$ is called a complementary information set code of order $t$ ($t$-CIS code for short) if it has $t$ pairwise disjoint information sets. The duals of such codes permit to reduce the cost of masking cryptographic algorithms against side-channel attacks. As in the case of codes for error correction, given the length and the dimension of a $t$-CIS code, we look for the highest possible minimum distance. In this paper, this new class of codes is investigated. The existence of good long CIS codes of order $3$ is derived by a counting argument. General constructions based on cyclic and quasi-cyclic codes and on the building up construction are given. A formula similar to a mass formula is given. A classification of 3-CIS codes of length $\le 12$ is given. Nonlinear codes better than linear codes are derived by taking binary images of $\Z_4$-codes. A general algorithm based on Edmonds' basis packing algorithm from matroid theory is developed with the following property: given a binary linear code of rate $1/t$ it either provides $t$ disjoint information sets or proves that the code is not $t$-CIS. Using this algorithm, all optimal or best known $[tk, k]$ codes where $t=3, 4, \dots, 256$ and $1 \le k \le \lfloor 256/t \rfloor$ are shown to be $t$-CIS for all such $k$ and $t$, except for $t=3$ with $k=44$ and $t=4$ with $k=37$.Comment: 13 pages; 1 figur

Security Analysis Techniques Using Differential Relationships For Block Ciphers

The uses of block cipher has become crucial in nowadays’ computing era as well as the information security. Information must be available only for authenticated and authorized users.However,flaws and weaknesses in the cryptosystem can breach the security of stored and transmitted information.A weak key in the key schedule is well-known issues which may affect several round keys have same bits in common.Besides,information leaked from the implementation also affects the security of block ciphers.Based on the flaws and leakage,the adversary is able to assess the differential relationships in block cipher using differential cryptanalysis technique. Firstly,the existing differential cryptanalysis techniques have been evaluated.Secondly,based on the gaps that have to be filled in the existing differential cryptanalysis techniques,new frameworks of differential cryptanalysis techniques have been proposed and designed by using Pearson correlation coefficient,Hamming-weight leakage assumption and reference point.The Pearson correlation coefficient is used to determine the repeated differential properties in the key schedules.Meanwhile, reference point and Hamming-weight leakage assumption are used to assess the security of the implementation of block ciphers against side-channel cube attack and differential fault analysis.Thirdly,all proposed frameworks have been assessed.The results show that the repeated differential properties are found for AES, PRESENT and Simeck key schedules.However,AES key schedule is definitely ideal to be adopted in the design for the future cryptographic algorithm.In addition,the newly designed frameworks for side-channel differential analysis techniques have been able to reduce the attack complexities for Simeck32/64,KATAN32 and KTANTAN32 compared to previous work.In conclusion,the proposed frameworks are effective in analyzing the security of block ciphers using differential cryptanalysis techniques