Quantum Attacks Research Articles

On the quantum security of high-dimensional RSA protocol

Abstract The idea of extending the classical RSA protocol using algebraic number fields was introduced by Takagi and Naito (Construction of RSA cryptosystem over the algebraic field using ideal theory and investigation of its security. Electron Commun Japan Part III Fund Electr Sci. 2000;83:19–29). Recently, Zheng et al. proposed the use of the ring of algebraic integers of an algebraic number field and the lattice theory to present a high-dimensional form of RSA. The authors claim that their proposal is post-quantum and is significant both from the theoretical and practical point of view. In this article, we prove that the security of Zheng et al.’s scheme is still based on the factorization problem, and we present a practical quantum attack on this proposed scheme, our attack is a quantum polynomial time algorithm that employs Shor’s algorithm as a subroutine.

A Quantum-Secure Cryptographic Algorithm Integrating Fractals and Prime Numbers

The present work introduces a new scheme of data cryptography in the context of emerging trends due to the challenge of defending critical network infrastructure against new exploit systems based on artificial intelligence or defending against quantum threats. In this paper, we will present an innovative cryptographic system composed of keys coming from fractals and prime numbers that are additionally manipulated through mathematical operations using matrices and quantum security. This technique ensures a high level of security, as demonstrated by the NIST p-values calculated on the key. This paper works upon the foundation on the previous work F&NIF (Fractal & Numerical Information Fusion), as we will discuss in the paper. In this work, we take this procedure and expand it with these new added features, using new fractal schemes and, in particular, implementing a novel quantum security procedure. This algorithm creates a security key applicable to cryptography that is resistant to quantum attacks since this procedure is quantum-crypto-agile.

Seesaw: A 4096-bit vector processor for accelerating Kyber based on RISC-V ISA extensions

The ML-KEM standard based on Kyber algorithm is one of the post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to withstand quantum attacks. To increase throughput and reduce the execution time that is limited by the high computational complexity of the Kyber algorithm, an RISC-V-based processor Seesaw is designed to accelerate the Kyber algorithm. The 32 specialized extension instructions are mainly designed to enhance the parallel computing ability of the processor and accelerate all the processes of the Kyber algorithm by thoroughly analyzing its characteristics. Subsequently, by carefully designing hardware such as poly vector registers and algorithm execution units on the RISC-V processor, the support of microarchitecture for extension instructions was achieved. Seesaw supports 4096-bit vector calculations through its poly vector registers and execution unit to meet high-throughput requirements and is implemented on the field-programmable gate array (FPGA). In addition, we modify the compiler simultaneously to adapt to the instruction extension and execution of Seesaw. Experimental results indicate that the processor achieves a speed-up of 432× and 18864× for hash and NTT, respectively, compared with that without extension instructions and a speed-up of 5.6× for the execution of the Kyber algorithm compared with the advanced hardware design.

An Applied Analysis of Securing 5G/6G Core Networks with Post-Quantum Key Encapsulation Methods

Fifth Generation (5G) cellular networks have been adopted worldwide since the rollout began around 2019. It brought with it many innovations and new services, such as Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Internet of Things (mIoT). Furthermore, 5G introduced a more scalable approach to network operations using fully software-based Virtualized Network Functions (VNF) in Core Networks (CN) rather than the prior hardware-based approach. However, while this shift towards a fully software-based system design provides numerous significant benefits, such as increased interoperability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, it also brings with it an increased cybersecurity risk. Security is crucial to maintaining trust between vendors, operators, and consumers. Cyberattacks are rapidly increasing in number and sophistication, and we are seeing a shift towards zero-trust approaches. This means that even communications between VNFs inside a 5G core must be scrutinized and hardened against attacks, especially with the advent of quantum computers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), over the past 10 years, has led efforts to standardize post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to protect against quantum attacks. This paper covers a custom implementation of the open-source free5GC CN, to expand its HTTPS capabilities for VNFs by introducing PQC Key Encapsulation Methods (KEM) for Transport Layer Security (TLS) v1.3. This paper provides the details of this integration with a focus on the latency of different PQC KEMs in initial handshakes between VNFs, on packet size, and the implications in a 5G environment. This work also conducts a security comparison between the PQC-equipped free5GC and other open-source 5G CNs. The presented results indicate a negligible increase in UE connection setup duration and a small increase in connection setup data requirements, strongly indicating that PQC KEM’s benefits far outweigh any downsides when integrated into 5G and 6G core services. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work incorporating PQC into an open-source 5G core. Furthermore, the results from this effort demonstrate that employing PQC ciphers for securing VNF communications results in only a negligible impact on latency and bandwidth usage, thus demonstrating significant benefits to 5G cybersecurity.

Post-Quantum Secure ID-Based (Threshold) Linkable Dual-Ring Signature and Its Application in Blockchain Transactions

Ring signatures are widely used in e-voting, anonymous whistle-blowing systems, and blockchain transactions. However, due to the anonymity of ring signatures, a signer can sign the same message multiple times, potentially leading to repeated voting or double spending in blockchain transactions. To address these issues in blockchain transactions, this work constructs an identity-based linkable ring signature scheme based on the hardness of the lattice-based Module Small Integer Solution (M-SIS) assumption, which is hard even for quantum attackers. The proposed scheme is proven to be anonymous, unforgeable, linkable, and nonslanderable in the random oracle model. Compared to existing identity-based linkable ring signature (IBLRS) schemes of linear size, our signature size is relatively smaller, and this advantage is more pronounced when the number of ring members is small. We provide approximate signature size data for ring members ranging from 2 to 2048. When the number of ring members is 16 (or 512. resp.), the signature size of our scheme is 11.40 KB (or 24.68 KB, respectively). Finally, a threshold extension is given as an additional scheme with specifications and security analysis.

Leveraging quantum blockchain for secure multiparty space sharing and authentication on specialized metaverse platform

In the era of digital transformation, securing data on metaverse platforms poses significant challenges. This paper proposes Multiparty Space Sharing and Authentication (MSSA), a novel approach for secure user login and location access control within specialized metaverse platforms. MSSA leverages Quantum Multiparty Secret Computation (QMSC) integrated with a quantum blockchain network. This integration facilitates user verification within the presence of potentially untrusted metaverse authority. The underlying quantum blockchain employs a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism with a Borda voting scheme for authority node selection. By harnessing the principles of quantum cryptography, MSSA offers enhanced security against both classical and anticipated future quantum attacks. This research demonstrates the feasibility and potential of quantum blockchain for securing metaverse platforms, paving the way for secure and decentralized digital ecosystems.

Exploring AES Encryption Implementation Through Quantum Computing Techniques

A coming great revolution in technology is quantum computing, which opens new attacks on most of the developed cryptographic algorithms, including AES. These emerging quantum capabilities risk weakening cryptographic techniques, which safeguard a vast amount of data across the globe. This research uses Grover's algorithm to explore the vulnerabilities of the Advanced Encryption Standard to quantum attacks. By implementing quantum cryptographic algorithms and Quantum Error Correction on simulators and quantum hardware, the study evaluates the effectiveness of these techniques in mitigating noise and improving the reliability of quantum computations. The study shows that while AES is theoretically at risk due to Grover’s algorithm, which demonstrates a theoretical reduction in AES key search complexity, current hardware limitations and noise levels encountered in today’s quantum computers reduce the immediate threat and limit practical exploitation. The research also examines NTRU encryption, a quantum-resistant alternative, highlighting its robustness in quantum environments. The findings emphasize the need for further development in QEC and quantum-resistant cryptography to secure digital communications against future quantum threats. Future work will focus on advancing QEC techniques and refining quantum algorithms, addressing both hardware and theoretical advancements, including the potential use of high-capacity processors like Jiuzhang 3.0. These improvements will ensure the scalability of quantum-resistant systems to practical key sizes and usage scenarios.

Secure and Efficient Data Hiding in the Cloud with Quantum-Resistant Encryption

Traditional steganographic methods in multi-cloud environments face significant challenges in cloud security, including complex key management, high computational overhead, and vulnerabilities to various attacks regaring secure data concealment. This paper presents a novel steganographic mechanism tailored for single cloud environments that address these issues. The proposed mechanism leverages a combination of homomorphic encryption, elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), and lattice-based cryptographic techniques to ensure robust security against classical and quantum attacks. Confining operations to a single cloud simplifies credential and key management, reducing operational complexity and enhancing system efficiency. The proposed approach mitigates the risks associated with multi-cloud environments and offers strong resistance to brute-force, differential, and steganalysis attacks. The implementation and validation of the mechanism demonstrate its efficacy in maintaining data integrity, confidentiality, and availability while minimizing computational resources. The results indicate that this approach significantly improves the security and performance of steganographic operations in cloud storage environments, setting a new standard for secure data concealment in cloud computing.

Quantum Procedures for Nested Search Problems

In this paper we study search problems that arise very often in cryptanalysis: nested search problems, where each search layer has known degrees of freedom and/or constraints. A generic quantum solution for such problems consists of nesting Grover's quantum search algorithm or amplitude amplification (QAA) by Brassard et al., obtaining up to a square-root speedup on classical algorithms. However, the analysis of nested Grover or QAA is complex and introduces technicalities that in previous works are handled in a case-by-case manner. Moreover, straightforward nesting of l layers multiplies the complexity by a constant factor (pi/2)^l. In this paper, we aim to remedy both these issues and introduce a generic framework and tools to transform a classical nested search into a quantum procedure. It improves the state-of-the-art in three ways: 1) our framework results in quantum procedures that are significantly simpler to describe and analyze; 2) it reduces the overhead factor from (pi/2)^l to sqrt(l); 3) it is simpler to apply and optimize, without needing manual quantum analysis. We give generic complexity formulas and show that for concrete instances, numerical optimizations enable further improvements, reducing even more the gap to an exact quadratic speedup. We demonstrate our framework by giving a tighter analysis of quantum attacks on reduced-round AES.

Post-quantum XML and SAML Single Sign-On

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is one of the most popular serialization languages. Since many security protocols are built using XML, it also provides cryptographic functionality. A central framework in this area is the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). This standard is one of the most widely used options for implementing Single Sign-On (SSO), which allows users to authenticate to different service providers using the credentials from a single identity provider. Like all other security protocols currently in use, the security and privacy of XML-based frameworks such as SAML is threatened by the development of increasingly powerful quantum computers. In fact, future attackers with access to scalable quantum computers will be able to break the currently used cryptographic building blocks and thus undermine the security of the SAML SSO to illegally access sensitive private information. Post-quantum cryptography algorithms have been developed to protect against such quantum attackers. While many security protocols have been migrated into the quantum age by using post-quantum cryptography, no such solutions for XML and the security protocols based on it have been developed, let alone tested. We make the following contributions to fill this gap. We have designed post-quantum solutions for the cryptographic building blocks in XML and integrated them into the SAML SSO protocol. We implemented our solutions in the OpenSAML, Apache Santuario, and BouncyCastle libraries and extensively tested their performance for various post-quantum instantiations. As a result, we have created a comprehensive and solid foundation for post-quantum XML and post-quantum SAML SSO migration.

CLLS: Efficient certificateless lattice-based signature in VANETs

The rapid development of Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANETs) has improved road safety and traffic management, and brought great convenience to intelligent transportation system (ITS). However, the transmission of data over open channels caused many security issues. Certificateless cryptography solves the certificate management and key escrow problems, which makes it the primary method for message authentication in VANETs. However, with the emergence of quantum computing, traditional cryptography faces a significant challenge. Lattice-based cryptography are regarded as effective post-quantum ciphers. Nevertheless, nearly all existing lattice-based certificateless signature schemes rely on Gaussian sampling or trapdoor techniques, resulting in computational inefficiencies and large key and signature sizes that are impractical for VANETs. To address these issues, we proposed the first efficient algebraic lattice-based certificateless signature scheme in VANETs based on the Dilithium signature algorithm. The security of our certificateless lattice-based signature(CLLS) scheme is based on the MSIS and MLWE hardness assumption, which makes the scheme resistant to quantum attacks and easy to implement. Our scheme did not use Gaussian sampling or trapdoor techniques, which improve the computational and storage efficiency. As a result, the public key of our scheme is 1X smaller than the previous scheme and the size of signature is 2X smaller than the previous efficient algebraic lattice scheme. In addition, compared to the most efficient existing CLLS scheme, the signing and verification computation cost of our scheme are reduced by 20% and 55% respectively and our proposed CLLS scheme has low power consumption. Furthermore, the security of our scheme achieves strong unforgeability against chosen-message attacks(SUF-CMA) in the random oracle model(ROM), which surpasses that of existing lattice-based certificateless signature schemes.

Quantum computing in cyber security: Emerging threats, mitigation strategies, and future implications for data protection

Quantum computing is a quantum step forward in computing technology that can transform many industries, including cybersecurity. With the development of quantum computers, they bring a lot of threats to traditional cryptographic systems, which is a concern in ensuring the security of data and communications. This paper seeks to discuss the threats of quantum computing, particularly on cryptographic systems like the RSA and elliptic curve cryptography. It also looks into measures of protection from quantum attacks, such as establishing post-quantum cryptography and hybrid encryption. Further, this paper provides a brief insight into the future of data protection with a view that organizations must prepare for this continuously advancing world. The material looks into the interaction of quantum computing and cybersecurity to enable stakeholders to develop anticipations and expectations of the future in providing secure data in a quantum world.

Quantum Computing and the Implications on Online Security

Over the past year, quantum computing has seen many advancements due to contributions from UC Berkeley in collaboration with IBM’s laboratories. Although these breakthroughs seem promising, they introduce new security concerns regarding the potential for quantum attacks to become a major threat in future data breaches. This research investigates the efficiency of many quantum cryptographic techniques. These algorithms include Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), Lattice-Based Cryptography, and Multivariate Cryptography. Utilizing IBM’s Qiskit Python extensions, we were able to test these methods against quantum attack algorithms, including Shor's Algorithm, Grover's Algorithm, and the BB84 protocol. Our results indicate that, although current cryptographic methods provide some level of defense against quantum attacks, there needs to be advancements to protect our digital infrastructure for the future. This study puts emphasis on the need for more development in cryptographic algorithms to ensure proper security in the era of quantum computing.

Post-Quantum Delegated Proof of Luck for Blockchain Consensus Algorithm

The advancements in quantum computing and the potential for polynomial-time solutions to traditional public key cryptography (i.e., Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA) and elliptic-curve cryptography (ECC)) using Shor’s algorithm pose a serious threat to the security of pre-quantum blockchain technologies. This paper proposes an efficient quantum-safe blockchain that incorporates new quantum-safe consensus algorithms. We integrate post-quantum signature schemes into the blockchain’s transaction signing and verification processes to enhance resistance against quantum attacks. Specifically, we employ the Falcon signature scheme, which was selected during the NIST post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standardization process. Although the integration of the post-quantum signature scheme results in a reduction in the blockchain’s transactions per second (TPSs), we introduce efficient approaches to mitigate this performance degradation. Our proposed post-quantum delegated proof of luck (PQ-DPoL) combines a proof of luck (PoL) mechanism with a delegated approach, ensuring quantum resistance, energy efficiency, and fairness in block generation. Experimental results demonstrate that while post-quantum cryptographic algorithms like Falcon introduce larger signature sizes and slower processing times, the PQ-DPoL algorithm effectively balances security and performance, providing a viable solution for secure blockchain operations in a post-quantum era.

An MLWE-Based Cut-and-Choose Oblivious Transfer Protocol.

The existing lattice-based cut-and-choose oblivious transfer protocol is constructed based on the learning-with-errors (LWE) problem, which generally has the problem of inefficiency. An efficient cut-and-choose oblivious transfer protocol is proposed based on the difficult module-learning-with-errors (MLWE) problem. Compression and decompression techniques are introduced in the LWE-based dual-mode encryption system to improve it to an MLWE-based dual-mode encryption framework, which is applied to the protocol as an intermediate scheme. Subsequently, the security and efficiency of the protocol are analysed, and the security of the protocol can be reduced to the shortest independent vector problem (SIVP) on the lattice, which is resistant to quantum attacks. Since the whole protocol relies on the polynomial ring of elements to perform operations, the efficiency of polynomial modulo multiplication can be improved by using fast Fourier transform (FFT). Finally, this paper compares the protocol with an LWE-based protocol in terms of computational and communication complexities. The analysis results show that the protocol reduces the computation and communication overheads by at least a factor of n while maintaining the optimal number of communication rounds under malicious adversary attacks.

Single-Query Quantum Hidden Shift Attacks

Quantum attacks using superposition queries are known to break many classically secure modes of operation. While these attacks do not necessarily threaten the security of the modes themselves, since they rely on a strong adversary model, they help us to draw limits on their provable security.Typically these attacks use the structure of the mode (stream cipher, MAC or authenticated encryption scheme) to embed a period-finding problem, which can be solved with a dedicated quantum algorithm. The hidden period can be recovered with a few superposition queries (e.g., O(n) for Simon’s algorithm), leading to state or key-recovery attacks. However, this strategy breaks down if the period changes at each query, e.g., if it depends on a nonce.In this paper, we focus on this case and give dedicated state-recovery attacks on the authenticated encryption schemes Rocca, Rocca-S, Tiaoxin-346 and AEGIS- 128L. These attacks rely on a procedure to find a Boolean hidden shift with a single superposition query, which overcomes the change of nonce at each query. This approach has the drawback of a lower success probability, meaning multiple independent (and parallelizable) runs are needed.We stress that these attacks do not break any security claim of the authors, and do not threaten the schemes if the adversary only makes classical queries.

Quantum Attacks on MIBS Block Cipher Based on Bernstein–Vazirani Algorithm

Because of the substantial progress in quantum computing technology, the safety of traditional cryptologic schemes is facing serious challenges. In this study, we explore the quantum safety of the lightweight cipher MIBS and propose quantum key-recovery attacks on the MIBS cipher by utilizing Grover’s algorithm and Bernstein–Vazirani algorithm. We first construct linear-structure functions based on the 5-round MIBS cipher according to the characteristics of the linear transformations, and then we obtain a quantum distinguisher of the 5-round MIBS cipher by applying Bernstein–Vazirani algorithm to the constructed functions. Finally, utilizing this distinguisher and Grover’s algorithm, we realize a 7-round key-recovery attack on the MIBS cipher, and then we expand the attack to more rounds of MIBS based on a similar idea. The quantum attack on the 7-round MIBS requires 156 qubits and has a time complexity of 210.5. An 8-round attack requires 179 qubits and has a time complexity of 222. Compared with existing quantum attacks, our attacks have better time complexity when attacking the same number of rounds.

The Impact of Quantum Computing on Cryptographic Security Protocols

Quantum computing is a big change in the way computers work, and it promises to be much faster than traditional systems. This new technology brings both huge benefits and huge problems, especially when it comes to cryptographic security measures. Classical encryption algorithms, like RSA and ECC, depend on the fact that some math problems are hard, like discrete logarithms and integer factorization. Quantum algorithms, like Shor's algorithm, can solve these problems quickly. Because of this, the development of scalable quantum computers poses a danger to the basic safety of the cryptography methods that are widely used today. This short summary looks at the big effects that quantum computing will have on the safety of cryptography. It looks at the security holes that quantum algorithms create and stresses how important it is to find answers for post-quantum cryptography (PQC). PQC wants to make programs that can't be broken by quantum attacks. This will make sure that digital interactions can still be private, secure, and real in a world powered by quantum computers. Also, switching to PQC comes with a lot of problems, such as implementing algorithms, making sure they are all the same, and getting people to use them in a lot of different technology environments. The abstract talks about current research projects and foreign partnerships that aim to standardize and implement PQC. It stresses how important it is to plan ahead to reduce the risks of the future.

Designing a Robust Quantum Signature Protocol Based on Quantum Key Distribution for E-Voting Applications

The rapid advancement of internet technology has raised attention to the importance of electronic voting in maintaining democracy and fairness in elections. E-voting refers to the use of electronic technology to facilitate the casting and counting of votes in elections. The need for designated verification arises from concerns about voter privacy, auditability, and the prevention of manipulation. Traditional e-voting systems use cryptographic techniques for security but lack verifiable proof of integrity. Integrating e-voting with a quantum designated verifier could address these challenges by leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to enhance security and trustworthiness. In light of this, we propose a quantum e-voting scheme that uses a designated verifier signature. To ensure the confidentiality and authenticity of the voting process, the scheme uses quantum features like the no-cloning theorem and quantum key distribution. The proposed scheme has security properties like source hiding, non-transferability, and message anonymity. The proposed scheme is resistant to many quantum attacks, such as eavesdropping and impersonation. Due to designated verification, the scheme minimizes the risk of tempering. This paper provides a detailed description of the proposed scheme and analyzes its security properties. Therefore, the proposed scheme is efficient, practical, and secure.

APPS: Authentication-enabled privacy protection scheme for secure data transfer in Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging field that encompasses several heterogeneous devices and smart objects that are integrated with the network. In open platforms, these objects are deployed to present advanced services in numerous applications. Innumerable security-sensitive data is generated by the IoT device and therefore, the security of these devices is an important task. This work formulates a secure data transfer technique in IoT, named Authentication enabled Privacy Protection (APPS) scheme for resource-constrained IoT devices. The proposed scheme demonstrates resilience against various attacks; such as resisting reply attacks, device anonymity, untracebility, session key establishment, quantum attacks and resisting MITM attacks. For the privacy protection scheme, the secured data transfer is initiated between the entities, like IoT devices, servers, and registration centers, by using various phases, namely registration phase, key generation phase, data encryption, authentication, verification, and data retrieval phase. Here, a mathematical model is designed for protecting data privacy using hashing, encryption, secret keys, etc. Finally, performance of proposed APPS model is analyzed; wherein the outcomes reveal that the proposed APPS model attained the maximum detection rate of 0.85, minimal memory usage of 0.497MB, and minimal computational time of 112. 79 sec and minimal turnaround time 131.91 sec.