Two attacks on rank metric code-based schemes: RankSign and an IBE scheme

Thomas Debris-Alazard, Jean Pierre Tillich

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

RankSign [30] is a code-based signature scheme proposed to the NIST competition for quantum-safe cryptography [5] and, moreover, is a fundamental building block of a new Identity-Based-Encryption (IBE) [26]. This signature scheme is based on the rank metric and enjoys remarkably small key sizes, about 10KBytes for an intended level of security of 128 bits. Unfortunately we will show that all the parameters proposed for this scheme in [5] can be broken by an algebraic attack that exploits the fact that the augmented LRPC codes used in this scheme have very low weight codewords. Therefore, without RankSign the IBE cannot be instantiated at this time. As a second contribution we will show that the problem is deeper than finding a new signature in rank-based cryptography, we also found an attack on the generic problem upon which its security reduction relies. However, contrarily to the RankSign scheme, it seems that the parameters of the IBE scheme could be chosen in order to avoid our attack. Finally, we have also shown that if one replaces the rank metric in the [26] IBE scheme by the Hamming metric, then a devastating attack can be found.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Cryptology – ASIACRYPT 2018 - 24th International Conference on the Theory and Application of Cryptology and Information Security, Proceedings
EditorsThomas Peyrin, Steven Galbraith
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages62-92
Number of pages31
ISBN (Print)9783030033255
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2018
Event24th Annual International Conference on Theory and Application of Cryptology and Information Security, ASIACRYPT 2018 - Brisbane, Australia
Duration: 2 Dec 20186 Dec 2018

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume11272 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference24th Annual International Conference on Theory and Application of Cryptology and Information Security, ASIACRYPT 2018
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityBrisbane
Period2/12/186/12/18

Keywords

  • Code-based cryptography
  • Cryptanalysis
  • Identity based encryption
  • Rank metric
  • Signature scheme

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