Solving discrete logarithms on a 170-bit MNT curve by pairing reduction

Pairing based cryptography is in a dangerous position following the breakthroughs on discrete logarithms computations in finite fields of small characteristic. Remaining instances are built over finite fields of large characteristic and their security relies on the fact that the embedding field of the underlying curve is relatively large. How large is debatable. The aim of our work is to sustain the claim that the combination of degree 3 embedding and too small finite fields obviously does not provide enough security. As a computational example, we solve the DLP on a 170-bit MNT curve, by exploiting the pairing embedding to a 508-bit, degree-3 extension of the base field.Comment: to appear in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS

More Discriminants with the Brezing-Weng Method

The Brezing-Weng method is a general framework to generate families of pairing-friendly elliptic curves. Here, we introduce an improvement which can be used to generate more curves with larger discriminants. Apart from the number of curves this yields, it provides an easy way to avoid endomorphism rings with small class number

Still Wrong Use of Pairings in Cryptography

Several pairing-based cryptographic protocols are recently proposed with a wide variety of new novel applications including the ones in emerging technologies like cloud computing, internet of things (IoT), e-health systems and wearable technologies. There have been however a wide range of incorrect use of these primitives. The paper of Galbraith, Paterson, and Smart (2006) pointed out most of the issues related to the incorrect use of pairing-based cryptography. However, we noticed that some recently proposed applications still do not use these primitives correctly. This leads to unrealizable, insecure or too inefficient designs of pairing-based protocols. We observed that one reason is not being aware of the recent advancements on solving the discrete logarithm problems in some groups. The main purpose of this article is to give an understandable, informative, and the most up-to-date criteria for the correct use of pairing-based cryptography. We thereby deliberately avoid most of the technical details and rather give special emphasis on the importance of the correct use of bilinear maps by realizing secure cryptographic protocols. We list a collection of some recent papers having wrong security assumptions or realizability/efficiency issues. Finally, we give a compact and an up-to-date recipe of the correct use of pairings.Comment: 25 page

Cryptographic Pairings: Efficiency and DLP security

This thesis studies two important aspects of the use of pairings in cryptography, efficient algorithms and security. Pairings are very useful tools in cryptography, originally used for the cryptanalysis of elliptic curve cryptography, they are now used in key exchange protocols, signature schemes and Identity-based cryptography. This thesis comprises of two parts: Security and Efficient Algorithms. In Part I: Security, the security of pairing-based protocols is considered, with a thorough examination of the Discrete Logarithm Problem (DLP) as it occurs in PBC. Results on the relationship between the two instances of the DLP will be presented along with a discussion about the appropriate selection of parameters to ensure particular security level. In Part II: Efficient Algorithms, some of the computational issues which arise when using pairings in cryptography are addressed. Pairings can be computationally expensive, so the Pairing-Based Cryptography (PBC) research community is constantly striving to find computational improvements for all aspects of protocols using pairings. The improvements given in this section contribute towards more efficient methods for the computation of pairings, and increase the efficiency of operations necessary in some pairing-based protocol

Optimal TNFS-secure pairings on elliptic curves with composite embedding degree

In this paper we present a comprehensive comparison between pairing-friendly elliptic curves, considering di erent curve forms and twists where possible. We de ne an additional measure of the e- ciency of a parametrized pairing-friendly family that takes into account the number eld sieve (NFS) attacks (unlike the -value). This measure includes an approximation of the security of the discrete logarithm problem in F pk , computed via the method of Barbulescu and Duquesne [4]. We compute the security of the families presented by Fotiadis and Konstantinou in [14], compute some new families, and compare the eciency of both of these with the (adjusted) BLS, KSS, and BN families, and with the new families of [20]. Finally, we recommend pairing-friendly elliptic curves for security levels 128 and 192

Developing an Automatic Generation Tool for Cryptographic Pairing Functions

Pairing-Based Cryptography is receiving steadily more attention from industry, mainly because of the increasing interest in Identity-Based protocols. Although there are plenty of applications, efficiently implementing the pairing functions is often difficult as it requires more knowledge than previous cryptographic primitives. The author presents a tool for automatically generating optimized code for the pairing functions which can be used in the construction of such cryptographic protocols. In the following pages I present my work done on the construction of pairing function code, its optimizations and how their construction can be automated to ease the work of the protocol implementer. Based on the user requirements and the security level, the created cryptographic compiler chooses and constructs the appropriate elliptic curve. It identifies the supported pairing function: the Tate, ate, R-ate or pairing lattice/optimal pairing, and its optimized parameters. Using artificial intelligence algorithms, it generates optimized code for the final exponentiation and for hashing a point to the required group using the parametrisation of the chosen family of curves. Support for several multi-precision libraries has been incorporated: Magma, MIRACL and RELIC are already included, but more are possible

Pairings in Cryptology: efficiency, security and applications

Abstract The study of pairings can be considered in so many di�erent ways that it may not be useless to state in a few words the plan which has been adopted, and the chief objects at which it has aimed. This is not an attempt to write the whole history of the pairings in cryptology, or to detail every discovery, but rather a general presentation motivated by the two main requirements in cryptology; e�ciency and security. Starting from the basic underlying mathematics, pairing maps are con- structed and a major security issue related to the question of the minimal embedding �eld [12]1 is resolved. This is followed by an exposition on how to compute e�ciently the �nal exponentiation occurring in the calculation of a pairing [124]2 and a thorough survey on the security of the discrete log- arithm problem from both theoretical and implementational perspectives. These two crucial cryptologic requirements being ful�lled an identity based encryption scheme taking advantage of pairings [24]3 is introduced. Then, perceiving the need to hash identities to points on a pairing-friendly elliptic curve in the more general context of identity based cryptography, a new technique to efficiently solve this practical issue is exhibited. Unveiling pairings in cryptology involves a good understanding of both mathematical and cryptologic principles. Therefore, although �rst pre- sented from an abstract mathematical viewpoint, pairings are then studied from a more practical perspective, slowly drifting away toward cryptologic applications

Constructing suitable ordinary pairing-friendly curves: A case of elliptic curves and genus two hyperelliptic curves

One of the challenges in the designing of pairing-based cryptographic protocols is to construct suitable pairing-friendly curves: Curves which would provide e�cient implementation without compromising the security of the protocols. These curves have small embedding degree and large prime order subgroup. Random curves are likely to have large embedding degree and hence are not practical for implementation of pairing-based protocols. In this thesis we review some mathematical background on elliptic and hyperelliptic curves in relation to the construction of pairing-friendly hyper-elliptic curves. We also present the notion of pairing-friendly curves. Furthermore, we construct new pairing-friendly elliptic curves and Jacobians of genus two hyperelliptic curves which would facilitate an efficient implementation in pairing-based protocols. We aim for curves that have smaller values than ever before reported for di�erent embedding degrees. We also discuss optimisation of computing pairing in Tate pairing and its variants. Here we show how to e�ciently multiply a point in a subgroup de�ned on a twist curve by a large cofactor. Our approach uses the theory of addition chains. We also show a new method for implementation of the computation of the hard part of the �nal exponentiation in the calculation of the Tate pairing and its varian