Linear cryptanalysis of pseudorandom functions

Relatório de projeto de pesquisa.In this paper, we study linear relations propagating across block ciphers from the key input to the ciphertext (for a fixed plaintext block). This is a usual setting of a one-way function, used for instance in modes of operation such as KFB (key feedback). We instantiate the block cipher with the full 16-round DES and $s^2$-DES, 10-round LOKI91 and 24-round Khufu, for which linear relations with high bias are well known. Other interesting targets include the full 8.5-round IDEA and PES ciphers for which high bias linear relations exist under the assumption of weak keys. Consequences of these findings impact the security of modes of operation such as KFB and of pseudorandom number/bit generators. These analyses were possible due to the linear structure and the poor diffusion of the key schedule algorithms. These findings shall motivate carefull (re)design of current and future key schedule algorithms

Likelihood Estimation for Block Cipher Keys

In this paper, we give a general framework for the analysis of block ciphers using the statistical technique of likelihood estimation. We show how various recent successful cryptanalyses of block ciphers can be regarded in this framework. By analysing the SAFER block cipher in this framework we expose a cryptographic weakness of that cipher

Differential Cryptanalysis of Feistel’s Iterated Block Ciphers

В статті обговорюються базові принципи Диференційного криптоаналіза, концепції, алгоритми, ідеї і методи, які забезпечують цей тип атаки, а також математичне обгрунтування.Here are described the basic principles of Differential Cryptanalysis, concepts, algorithms, ideas and methods which provide this kind of attack and also its mathematical background

Block Ciphers: Analysis, Design and Applications

In this thesis we study cryptanalysis, applications and design of secret key block ciphers. In particular, the important class of Feistel ciphers is studied, which has a number of rounds, where in each round one applies a cryptographically weak function

Another Look at Differential-Linear Attacks

Differential-Linear (DL) cryptanalysis is a well known cryptanalytic technique that combines differential and linear cryptanalysis. Over the years, multiple techniques were proposed to increase its strength and applicability. Two relatively recent ones are: The partitioning technique by Leurent and the use of neutral bits adapted by Beierle et al. to DL cryptanalysis. In this paper we compare these techniques and discuss the possibility of using them together to achieve the best possible DL attacks. We study the combination of these two techniques and show that in many cases they are indeed compatible. We demonstrate the strength of the combination in two ways. First, we present the first DL attack on 4-round Xoodyak and an extension to 5-round in the related key model. We show that the attacks are possible only by using these two techniques simultaneously. In addition, using the combination of the two techniques we improve a DL attack on 9-round DES. We show that the partitioning technique mainly reduces the time complexity, and the use of neutral bits mainly reduces the data complexity, while the combination of them reduces both the time and data complexities

Statistical cryptanalysis of block ciphers

Since the development of cryptology in the industrial and academic worlds in the seventies, public knowledge and expertise have grown in a tremendous way, notably because of the increasing, nowadays almost ubiquitous, presence of electronic communication means in our lives. Block ciphers are inevitable building blocks of the security of various electronic systems. Recently, many advances have been published in the field of public-key cryptography, being in the understanding of involved security models or in the mathematical security proofs applied to precise cryptosystems. Unfortunately, this is still not the case in the world of symmetric-key cryptography and the current state of knowledge is far from reaching such a goal. However, block and stream ciphers tend to counterbalance this lack of "provable security" by other advantages, like high data throughput and ease of implementation. In the first part of this thesis, we would like to add a (small) stone to the wall of provable security of block ciphers with the (theoretical and experimental) statistical analysis of the mechanisms behind Matsui's linear cryptanalysis as well as more abstract models of attacks. For this purpose, we consider the underlying problem as a statistical hypothesis testing problem and we make a heavy use of the Neyman-Pearson paradigm. Then, we generalize the concept of linear distinguisher and we discuss the power of such a generalization. Furthermore, we introduce the concept of sequential distinguisher, based on sequential sampling, and of aggregate distinguishers, which allows to build sub-optimal but efficient distinguishers. Finally, we propose new attacks against reduced-round version of the block cipher IDEA. In the second part, we propose the design of a new family of block ciphers named FOX. First, we study the efficiency of optimal diffusive components when implemented on low-cost architectures, and we present several new constructions of MDS matrices; then, we precisely describe FOX and we discuss its security regarding linear and differential cryptanalysis, integral attacks, and algebraic attacks. Finally, various implementation issues are considered

The design of a secure data communication system

The recent results of using a new type of chosen-plaintext attack, which is called differential cryptanalysis, makes most published conventional secret-key block cipher systems vulnerable. The need for a new conventional cipher which resists all known attacks was the main inspiration of this work. The design of a secret-key block cipher algorithm called DCU-Cipher, that resists all known cryptanalysis methods is proposed in this dissertation. The proposed method is workable for either 64-bit plaintext/64-bit ciphertext blocks, or 128-bit plaintext/128-bit ciphertext blocks. The secret key in both styles is 128-bit long. This method has only four rounds and the main transformation function in this cipher algorithm is based on four mixed operations. The proposed method is suitable for both hardware and software implementation. It is also suitable for cryptographic hash function implementations. Two techniques for file and/or data communication encryption are also proposed here. These modes are modified versions of the Cipher-Block Chaining mode, by which the threat of the known-plaintext differential cyptanalytical attack is averted. An intensive investigation of the best known Identity-based key exchange schemes is also presented. The idea behind using such protocols, is providing an authenticated secret-key by using the users identification tockens. These kind of protocols appeared recently and are not standardized as yet. None of these protocols have been compared with previous proposals. Therefore one can not realize the efficiency and the advantages of a new proposed protocol without comparing it with other existing schemes of the same type. The aim of this investigation is to clarify the advantages and the disadvantages of each of the best known schemes and compare these schemes from the complixity and the speed viewpoint