A Framework for Universally Composable Non-Committing Blind Signatures

A universally composable (UC) blind signature functionality requres users to commit to the message to be blindly signed. It is thereby impossible to realize in the plain model. This paper shows that even non-committing variants of UC blind signature functionality can not be realized in the plain model. We characterize UC non-committing blind signatures in the common reference string model by presenting equivalent stand-alone security notions under static corruption. Usefulness of the characterization is demonstrated by showing that Fischlin\u27s basic stand-alone blind signature scheme can be transformed into a UC non-committing blind signature protocol without using extra cryptographic components. We extend the results to the adaptive corruption model and present analogous notions, theorems, and constructions both in the erasure model and the non-erasure model

The Limits of Composable Crypto with Transferable Setup Devices

UC security realized with setup devices imposes that single instances of these setups are used. In most cases, UC-realization relies further on other properties of the setups devices, like tamper-resistance. But what happens in stronger versions of the UC framework, like EUC or JUC, where multiple instances of these setups are allowed? Can we formalise what it is about setups like these which makes them sometimes hinder UC, JUC, EUC realizability? In this paper, we answer this question. As such, we formally introduce transferable setups, which can be viewed as setup devices that do not (publicly) disclose if they have been maliciously passed on. Further, we prove the general result that one cannot realize oblivious transfer (OT) or any "interesting" 2-party protocol using transferable setups in the EUC model. As a by-product, we show that physically unclonable functions (PUFs) themselves are transferable devices, which means that one cannot use PUFs as a global setups; this is interesting because non-transferability is a weaker requirement than locality, which until now was the property informally blamed for UC-impossibility results regarding PUFs as global setups. If setups are transferable (i.e., they can be passed on from one party to another without explicit disclosure of a malicious transfer), then they will not intrinsically leak if a relay attack takes place. Indeed, we further prove that if relay attacks are possible then oblivious transfer cannot be realized in the JUC model. Linked to the prevention of relaying, authenticated channels have historically been an essential building stone of the UC model. Related to this, we show how to strengthen some existing protocols UC-realized with PUFs, and render them not only UC-secure but also JUC-secure

Signing on Elements in Bilinear Groups for Modular Protocol Design

A signature scheme is called structure-preserving if its verification keys, messages, and signatures are group elements and the verification predicate is a conjunction of pairing product equations. We answer to the open problem of constructing a constant-size structure-preserving signature scheme. The security is proven in the standard model based on a novel non-interactive assumption that can be justified and has an optimal bound in the generic bilinear group model. We also present efficient structure-preserving signature schemes with advanced properties including signing unbounded number of group elements, allowing simulation in the common reference string model, signing messages from mixed groups in the asymmetric bilinear group setting, and strong unforgeability. Among many applications, we show two examples; an adaptively secure round optimal blind signature scheme and a group signature scheme with efficient concurrent join. As a bi-product, several homomorphic trapdoor commitment schemes and one-time signature schemes are presented, too. In combination with the Groth-Sahai non-interactive proof system, these schemes contribute to give efficient instantiations to modular constructions of cryptographic protocols

Design in Type-I, Run in Type-III: Fast and Scalable Bilinear-Type Conversion using Integer Programming

Bilinear-type conversion is to convert cryptographic schemes designed over symmetric groups instantiated with imperilled curves into ones that run over more secure and efficient asymmetric groups. In this paper we introduce a novel type conversion method called {\em IPConv} using 0-1 Integer Programming. Instantiated with a widely available IP solver, it instantly converts existing intricate schemes, and can process large-scale schemes that involves more than a thousand variables and hundreds of pairings. Such a quick and scalable method allows a new approach in designing cryptographic schemes over asymmetric bilinear groups. Namely, designers work without taking much care about asymmetry of computation but the converted scheme runs well in the asymmetric setting. We demonstrate the usefulness of conversion-aided design by presenting somewhat counter-intuitive examples where converted DLIN-based Groth-Sahai proofs are more compact than manually built SXDH-based proofs

Improved (Almost) Tightly-Secure Structure-Preserving Signatures

Structure Preserving Signatures (SPS) allow the signatures and the messages signed to be further encrypted while retaining the ability to be proven valid under zero-knowledge. In particular, SPS are tailored to have structure suitable for Groth-Sahai NIZK proofs. More precisely, the messages, signatures, and verification keys are required to be elements of groups that support efficient bilinear-pairings (bilinear groups), and the signature verification consists of just evaluating one or more bilinear-pairing product equations. Since Groth-Sahai NIZK proofs can (with zero-knowledge) prove the validity of such pairing product equations, it leads to interesting applications such as blind signatures, group signatures, traceable signatures, group encryption, and delegatable credential systems. In this paper, we further improve on the SPS scheme of Abe, Hofheinz, Nishimaki, Ohkubo and Pan (CRYPTO 2017) while maintaining only an $O(\lambda)$-factor security reduction loss to the SXDH assumption. In particular, we compress the size of the signatures by almost 40%, and reduce the number of pairing-product equations in the verifier from fifteen to seven. Recall that structure preserving signatures are used in applications by encrypting the messages and/or the signatures, and hence these optimizations are further amplified as proving pairing-product equations in Groth-Sahai NIZK system is not frugal. While our scheme uses an important novel technique introduced by Hofheinz (EuroCrypt 2017), i.e., structure-preserving adaptive partitioning, our approach to building the signature scheme is different and this leads to the optimizations mentioned. Thus we make progress towards an open problem stated by Abe et al (CRYPTO 2017) to design more compact SPS-es with smaller number of group elements

Robust RFID Authentication Protocol with Formal Proof and Its Feasibility

The proloferation of RFID tags enhances everyday activities, such as by letting us reference the price, origin and circulation route of specific goods. On the other hand, this lecel of traceability gives rise to new privacy issues and the topic of developing cryptographic protocols for RFID- tags is garnering much attention. A large amount of research has been conducted in this area. In this paper, we reconsider the security model of RFID- authentication with a man-in-the-middle adversary and communication fault. We define model and security proofs via a game-based approach makes our security models compatible with formal security analysis tools. We show that an RFID authentication protocol is robust against the above attacks, and then provide game-based (hand-written) proofs and their erification by using CryptoVerif

Cryptographic Approach to "Privacy-Friendly" Tags

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is expected to become an important and ubiquitous infrastructure technology. As RFID tags are a#xed to everyday items, they may be used to support various useful services. However, widespread deployment of RFID tags may create new threats to user privacy, due to the powerful tracking capability of the tags. There ar