Unification modulo a 2-sorted Equational theory for Cipher-Decipher Block Chaining

We investigate unification problems related to the Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) mode of encryption. We first model chaining in terms of a simple, convergent, rewrite system over a signature with two disjoint sorts: list and element. By interpreting a particular symbol of this signature suitably, the rewrite system can model several practical situations of interest. An inference procedure is presented for deciding the unification problem modulo this rewrite system. The procedure is modular in the following sense: any given problem is handled by a system of `list-inferences', and the set of equations thus derived between the element-terms of the problem is then handed over to any (`black-box') procedure which is complete for solving these element-equations. An example of application of this unification procedure is given, as attack detection on a Needham-Schroeder like protocol, employing the CBC encryption mode based on the associative-commutative (AC) operator XOR. The 2-sorted convergent rewrite system is then extended into one that fully captures a block chaining encryption-decryption mode at an abstract level, using no AC-symbols; and unification modulo this extended system is also shown to be decidable.Comment: 26 page

Computing knowledge in security protocols under convergent equational theories

International audienceThe analysis of security protocols requires reasoning about the knowledge an attacker acquires by eavesdropping on network traffic. In formal approaches, the messages exchanged over the network are modeled by a term algebra equipped with an equational theory axiomatizing the properties of the cryptographic primitives (e.g. encryption, signature). In this context, two classical notions of knowledge, deducibility and indistinguishability, yield corresponding decision problems.\par We propose a procedure for both problems under arbitrary convergent equational theories. Since the underlying problems are undecidable we cannot guarantee termination. Nevertheless, our procedure terminates on a wide range of equational theories. In particular, we obtain a new decidability result for a theory we encountered when studying electronic voting protocols. We also provide a prototype implementation

Analysis of the IBM CCA Security API Protocols in Maude-NPA

Standards for cryptographic protocols have long been attractive candidates for formal verification. It is important that such standards be correct, and cryptographic protocols are tricky to design and subject to non-intuitive attacks even when the underlying cryptosystems are secure. Thus a number of general-purpose cryptographic protocol analysis tools have been developed and applied to protocol standards. However, there is one class of standards, security application programming interfaces (security APIs), to which few of these tools have been applied. Instead, most work has concentrated on developing special-purpose tools and algorithms for specific classes of security APIs. However, there can be much advantage gained from having general-purpose tools that could be applied to a wide class of problems, including security APIs. One particular class of APIs that has proven difficult to analyze using general-purpose tools is that involving exclusive-or. In this paper we analyze the IBM 4758 Common Cryptographic Architecture (CCA) protocol using an advanced automated protocol verification tool with full exclusive-or capabilities, the Maude-NPA tool. This is the first time that API protocols have been satisfactorily specified and analyzed in the Maude-NPA, and the first time XOR-based APIs have been specified and analyzed using a general-purpose unbounded session cryptographic protocol verification tool that provides direct support for AC theories. We describe our results and indicate what further research needs to be done to make such protocol analysis generally effective.Antonio González-Burgueño, Sonia Santiago and Santiago Escobar have been partially supported by the EU (FEDER) and the Spanish MINECO under grants TIN 2010-21062-C02-02 and TIN 2013-45732-C4-1-P, and by Generalitat Valenciana PROMETEO2011/052. José Meseguer has been partially supported by NSF Grant CNS 13-10109.González Burgueño, A.; Santiago Pinazo, S.; Escobar Román, S.; Meadows, C.; Meseguer, J. (2014). Analysis of the IBM CCA Security API Protocols in Maude-NPA. En Security Standardisation Research. Springer International Publishing. 111-130. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14054-4_8S111130Abadi, M., Blanchet, B., Fournet, C.: Just fast keying in the pi calculus. ACM Trans. Inf. Syst. Secur. 10(3) (2007)Blanchet, B.: An Efficient Cryptographic Protocol Verifier Based on Prolog Rules. In: 14th IEEE Computer Security Foundations Workshop (CSFW 2014), Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, June 2001, pp. 82–96. IEEE Computer Society (2014)Bond, M.: Attacks on cryptoprocessor transaction sets. In: Koç, Ç.K., Naccache, D., Paar, C. (eds.) CHES 2001. LNCS, vol. 2162, pp. 220–234. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)Butler, F., Cervesato, I., Jaggard, A.D., Scedrov, A.: A formal analysis of some properties of kerberos 5 using msr. In: CSFW, pp. 175–1790. IEEE Computer Society (2002)Cachin, C., Chandran, N.: A secure cryptographic token interface. In: Proceedings of the 22nd IEEE Computer Security Foundations Symposium, CSF 2009, Port Jefferson, New York, USA, July 8-10, pp. 141–153 (2009)Chevalier, Y., Küsters, R., Rusinowitch, M., Turuani, M.: An NP decision procedure for protocol insecurity with XOR. In: 18th Annual IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science, LICS 2003 (2003)Comon-Lundh, H., Shmatikov, V.: Intruder deductions, constraint solving and insecurity decision in presence of exclusive-or. In: 18th Annual IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science (LICS 2003), pp. 271–280 (2003)Comon-Lundh, H., Cortier, V.: New decidability results for fragments of first-order logic and application to cryptographic protocols. In: Nieuwenhuis, R. (ed.) RTA 2003. LNCS, vol. 2706, pp. 148–164. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)Cortier, V., Keighren, G., Steel, G.: Automatic analysis of the aecurity of XOR-based key management schemes. In: Grumberg, O., Huth, M. (eds.) TACAS 2007. LNCS, vol. 4424, pp. 538–552. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)Cortier, V., Steel, G.: A generic security API for symmetric key management on cryptographic devices. In: Backes, M., Ning, P. (eds.) ESORICS 2009. LNCS, vol. 5789, pp. 605–620. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)Erbatur, S., et al.: Effective Symbolic Protocol Analysis via Equational Irreducibility Conditions. In: Foresti, S., Yung, M., Martinelli, F. (eds.) ESORICS 2012. LNCS, vol. 7459, pp. 73–90. Springer, Heidelberg (2012)Escobar, S., Meadows, C., Meseguer, J.: Maude-NPA: Cryptographic Protocol Analysis Modulo Equational Properties. In: Aldini, A., Barthe, G., Gorrieri, R. (eds.) FOSAD 2007/2008/2009. LNCS, vol. 5705, pp. 1–50. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)Escobar, S., Meadows, C., Meseguer, J., Santiago, S.: Sequential Protocol Composition in Maude-NPA. In: Gritzalis, D., Preneel, B., Theoharidou, M. (eds.) ESORICS 2010. LNCS, vol. 6345, pp. 303–318. Springer, Heidelberg (2010)Thayer Fabrega, F.J., Herzog, J., Guttman, J.: Strand Spaces: What Makes a Security Protocol Correct? Journal of Computer Security 7, 191–230 (1999)González-Burgueño, A.: Protocol Analysis Modulo Exclusive-Or Theories: A Case study in Maude-NPA. Master’s thesis, Universitat Politècnica de València (March 2014), https://angonbur.webs.upv.es/Previous_work/Master_Thesis.pdfIBM. Comment on Mike’s Bond paper A Chosen Key Difference Attack on Control Vectors (2001), http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mkb23/research/CVDif-Response.pdfIBM. CCA basic services reference and guide: CCA basic services reference and guide for the IBM 4758 PCI and IBM 4764 (2001), http://www-03.ibm.com/security/cryptocards/pdfs/bs327.pdf.2008Keighren, G.: Model Checking IBM’s Common Cryptographic Architecture API. Technical Report 862, University of Edinburgh (October 2006)Kemmerer, R.A.: Using formal verification techniques to analyze encryption protocols. In: IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, pp. 134–139. IEEE Computer Society (1987)Küsters, R., Truderung, T.: Reducing protocol analysis with xor to the xor-free case in the horn theory based approach. J. Autom. Reasoning 46(3-4), 325–352 (2011)Linn, J.: Generic security service application program interface version 2, update 1. IETF RFC 2743 (2000), https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc2743Longley, D., Rigby, S.: An automatic search for security flaws in key management schemes. Computers & Security 11(1), 75–89 (1992)Meadows, C.: Applying formal methods to the analysis of a key management protocol. Journal of Computer Security 1(1) (1992)Meadows, C.: The NRL protocol analyzer: An overview. Journal of Logic Programming 26(2), 113–131 (1996)Meadows, C., Cervesato, I., Syverson, P.: Specification and Analysis of the Group Domain of Interpretation Protocol using NPATRL and the NRL Protocol Analyzer. Journal of Computer Security 12(6), 893–932 (2004)Meadows, C.: Analysis of the internet key exchange protocol using the nrl protocol analyzer. In: IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, pp. 216–231. IEEE Computer Society (1999)Meier, S., Schmidt, B., Cremers, C., Basin, D.: The TAMARIN prover for the symbolic snalysis of security protocols. In: Sharygina, N., Veith, H. (eds.) CAV 2013. LNCS, vol. 8044, pp. 696–701. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)Mukhamedov, A., Gordon, A.D., Ryan, M.: Towards a verified reference implementation of a trusted platform module. In: Christianson, B., Malcolm, J.A., Matyáš, V., Roe, M. (eds.) Security Protocols 2009. LNCS, vol. 7028, pp. 69–81. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)National Institute of Standards and Technology. 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Assessing security of some group based cryptosystems

One of the possible generalizations of the discrete logarithm problem to arbitrary groups is the so-called conjugacy search problem (sometimes erroneously called just the conjugacy problem): given two elements a, b of a group G and the information that a^x=b for some x \in G, find at least one particular element x like that. Here a^x stands for xax^{-1}. The computational difficulty of this problem in some particular groups has been used in several group based cryptosystems. Recently, a few preprints have been in circulation that suggested various "neighbourhood search" type heuristic attacks on the conjugacy search problem. The goal of the present survey is to stress a (probably well known) fact that these heuristic attacks alone are not a threat to the security of a cryptosystem, and, more importantly, to suggest a more credible approach to assessing security of group based cryptosystems. Such an approach should be necessarily based on the concept of the average case complexity (or expected running time) of an algorithm. These arguments support the following conclusion: although it is generally feasible to base the security of a cryptosystem on the difficulty of the conjugacy search problem, the group G itself (the "platform") has to be chosen very carefully. In particular, experimental as well as theoretical evidence collected so far makes it appear likely that braid groups are not a good choice for the platform. We also reflect on possible replacements.Comment: 10 page

Advanced Features in Protocol Verification: Theory, Properties, and Efficiency in Maude-NPA

The area of formal analysis of cryptographic protocols has been an active one since the mid 80’s. The idea is to verify communication protocols that use encryption to guarantee secrecy and that use authentication of data to ensure security. Formal methods are used in protocol analysis to provide formal proofs of security, and to uncover bugs and security flaws that in some cases had remained unknown long after the original protocol publication, such as the case of the well known Needham-Schroeder Public Key (NSPK) protocol. In this thesis we tackle problems regarding the three main pillars of protocol verification: modelling capabilities, verifiable properties, and efficiency. This thesis is devoted to investigate advanced features in the analysis of cryptographic protocols tailored to the Maude-NPA tool. This tool is a model-checker for cryptographic protocol analysis that allows for the incorporation of different equational theories and operates in the unbounded session model without the use of data or control abstraction. An important contribution of this thesis is relative to theoretical aspects of protocol verification in Maude-NPA. First, we define a forwards operational semantics, using rewriting logic as the theoretical framework and the Maude programming language as tool support. This is the first time that a forwards rewriting-based semantics is given for Maude-NPA. Second, we also study the problem that arises in cryptographic protocol analysis when it is necessary to guarantee that certain terms generated during a state exploration are in normal form with respect to the protocol equational theory. We also study techniques to extend Maude-NPA capabilities to support the verification of a wider class of protocols and security properties. First, we present a framework to specify and verify sequential protocol compositions in which one or more child protocols make use of information obtained from running a parent protocol. Second, we present a theoretical framework to specify and verify protocol indistinguishability in Maude-NPA. This kind of properties aim to verify that an attacker cannot distinguish between two versions of a protocol: for example, one using one secret and one using another, as it happens in electronic voting protocols. Finally, this thesis contributes to improve the efficiency of protocol verification in Maude-NPA. We define several techniques which drastically reduce the state space, and can often yield a finite state space, so that whether the desired security property holds or not can in fact be decided automatically, in spite of the general undecidability of such problems.Santiago Pinazo, S. (2015). Advanced Features in Protocol Verification: Theory, Properties, and Efficiency in Maude-NPA [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/4852

Modeling and Analysis of Advanced Cryptographic Primitives and Security Protocols in Maude-NPA

Tesis por compendio[ES] La herramienta criptográfica Maude-NPA es un verificador de modelos especializado para protocolos de seguridad criptográficos que tienen en cuenta las propiedades algebraicas de un sistema criptográfico. En la literatura, las propiedades criptográficas adicionales han descubierto debilidades de los protocolos de seguridad y, en otros casos, son parte de los supuestos de seguridad del protocolo para funcionar correctamente. Maude-NPA tiene una base teórica en la rewriting logic, la unificación ecuacional y el narrowing para realizar una búsqueda hacia atrás desde un patrón de estado inseguro para determinar si es alcanzable o no. Maude-NPA se puede utilizar para razonar sobre una amplia gama de propiedades criptográficas, incluida la cancelación del cifrado y descifrado, la exponenciación de Diffie-Hellman, el exclusive-or y algunas aproximaciones del cifrado homomórfico. En esta tesis consideramos nuevas propiedades criptográficas, ya sea como parte de protocolos de seguridad o para descubrir nuevos ataques. También hemos modelado diferentes familias de protocolos de seguridad, incluidos los Distance Bounding Protocols or Multi-party key agreement protocolos. Y hemos desarrollado nuevas técnicas de modelado para reducir el coste del análisis en protocolos con tiempo y espacio. Esta tesis contribuye de varias maneras al área de análisis de protocolos criptográficos y muchas de las contribuciones de esta tesis pueden ser útiles para otras herramientas de análisis criptográfico.[CAT] L'eina criptografica Maude-NPA es un verificador de models especialitzats per a protocols de seguretat criptogràfics que tenen en compte les propietats algebraiques d'un sistema criptogràfic. A la literatura, les propietats criptogràfiques addicionals han descobert debilitats dels protocols de seguretat i, en altres casos, formen part dels supòsits de seguretat del protocol per funcionar correctament. Maude-NPA te' una base teòrica a la rewriting lògic, la unificació' equacional i narrowing per realitzar una cerca cap enrere des d'un patró' d'estat insegur per determinar si es accessible o no. Maude-NPA es pot utilitzar per raonar sobre una amplia gamma de propietats criptogràfiques, inclosa la cancel·lació' del xifratge i desxifrat, l'exponenciacio' de Diffie-Hellman, el exclusive-or i algunes aproximacions del xifratge homomòrfic. En aquesta tesi, considerem noves propietats criptogràfiques, ja sigui com a part de protocols de seguretat o per descobrir nous atacs. Tambe' hem modelat diferents famílies de protocols de seguretat, inclosos els Distance Bounding Protocols o Multi-party key agreement protocols. I hem desenvolupat noves tècniques de modelització' de protocols per reduir el cost de l'analisi en protocols amb temps i espai. Aquesta tesi contribueix de diverses maneres a l’àrea de l’anàlisi de protocols criptogràfics i moltes de les contribucions d’aquesta tesi poden ser útils per a altres eines d’anàlisi criptogràfic.[EN] The Maude-NPA crypto tool is a specialized model checker for cryptographic security protocols that take into account the algebraic properties of the cryptosystem. In the literature, additional crypto properties have uncovered weaknesses of security protocols and, in other cases, they are part of the protocol security assumptions in order to function properly. Maude-NPA has a theoretical basis on rewriting logic, equational unification, and narrowing to perform a backwards search from an insecure state pattern to determine whether or not it is reachable. Maude-NPA can be used to reason about a wide range of cryptographic properties, including cancellation of encryption and decryption, Diffie-Hellman exponentiation, exclusive-or, and some approximations of homomorphic encryption. In this thesis, we consider new cryptographic properties, either as part of security protocols or to discover new attacks. We have also modeled different families of security protocols, including Distance Bounding Protocols or Multi-party key agreement protocols. And we have developed new protocol modeling techniques to reduce the time and space analysis effort. This thesis contributes in several ways to the area of cryptographic protocol analysis and many of the contributions of this thesis can be useful for other crypto analysis tools.This thesis would not have been possible without the funding of a set of research projects. The main contributions and derivative works of this thesis have been made in the context of the following projects: - Ministry of Economy and Business of Spain : Project LoBaSS Effective Solutions Based on Logic, Scientific Research under award number TIN2015-69175-C4-1-R, this project was focused on using powerful logic-based technologies to analyze safety-critical systems. - Air Force Office of Scientific Research of United States of America : Project Advanced symbolic methods for the cryptographic protocol analyzer Maude-NPA Scientific Research under award number FA9550-17-1-0286 - State Investigation Agency of Spain : Project FREETech: Formal Reasoning for Enabling and Emerging Technologies Scientific I+D-i Research under award number RTI2018-094403-B-C32Aparicio Sánchez, D. (2022). Modeling and Analysis of Advanced Cryptographic Primitives and Security Protocols in Maude-NPA [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/190915Compendi

On the Decidability of (ground) Reachability Problems for Cryptographic Protocols (extended version)

Analysis of cryptographic protocols in a symbolic model is relative to a deduction system that models the possible actions of an attacker regarding an execution of this protocol. We present in this paper a transformation algorithm for such deduction systems provided the equational theory has the finite variant property. the termination of this transformation entails the decidability of the ground reachability problems. We prove that it is necessary to add one other condition to obtain the decidability of non-ground problems, and provide one new such criterion