International Association
for Cryptologic Research

Self-sovereign identity (SSI) systems have gained increasing attention over the last five years. In a variety of fields (e.g., education, IT security, law, government), developers and researchers are attempting to give end-users back their right to and control of their data. Although prototypes and theoretical concepts for SSI applications exist, the majority of them are still in their infancy. Due to missing definitions and standards, there is currently a lack of common understanding of SSI system within the (IT) community.

To investigate current commonalities and differences in SSI understanding, I contribute the first qualitative user study (N=13) on expert mental models of SSI and its associated threat landscape. The study results highlight the need for a general definition of SSI and further standards for such systems, as experts' perceptions of SSI requirements vary widely. Based on the expert interviews, I constructed a minimal knowledge map for (potential) SSI end-users and formulated design guidelines for SSI to facilitate broad adoption in the wild and improve privacy-preserving usage.

Function Secret Sharing (FSS; Eurocrypt 2015) allows a dealer to share a function f with two or more evaluators. Given secret shares of a function f, the evaluators can locally compute secret shares of f(x) on an input x, without learning information about f.

In this paper, we initiate the study of access control for FSS. Given the shares of f, the evaluators can ensure that the dealer is authorized to share the provided function. For a function family F and an access control list defined over the family, the evaluators receiving the shares of f ∈ F can efficiently check that the dealer knows the access key for f.

This model enables new applications of FSS, such as: – anonymous authentication in a multi-party setting, – access control in private databases, and – authentication and spam prevention in anonymous communication systems.

Our definitions and constructions abstract and improve the concrete efficiency of several re- cent systems that implement ad-hoc mechanisms for access control over FSS. The main building block behind our efficiency improvement is a discrete-logarithm zero-knowledge proof-of-knowledge over secret-shared elements, which may be of independent interest.

We evaluate our constructions and show a 50–70× reduction in computational overhead com- pared to existing access control techniques used in anonymous communication. In other applications, such as private databases, the processing cost of introducing access control is only 1.5–3× when amortized over databases with 500,000 or more items.

Recently, the results of the NIST PQC contest were announced. Classic McEliece, one of the 3rd round candidates, was selected as the fourth round candidate. Classic McEliece is the only code-based cipher in the NIST PQC finalists in third round and the algorithm is regarded as secure. However, it has low efficiency. In this paper, we propose an efficient software implementation of Classic McEliece, a code-based cipher, on 64-bit ARMv8 processors. Classic McEliece can be divided into Key Generation, Encapsulation, and Decapsulation. Among them, we propose an optimal implementation for Encapsulation and Decapsulation. Optimized Encapsulation implementation utilizes vector registers to perform 16-byte parallel operations, and optimize using the specificity of the identity matrix. Decapsulation implemented efficient Multiplication and Inversion on $F_2^m$ field. Compared with the previous results, Encapsulation showed the performance improvement of up-to 1.99× than the-state-of-art works.

EDHOC is a lightweight authenticated key exchange protocol for IoT communication, currently being standardized by the IETF. Its design is a trimmed-down version of similar protocols like TLS 1.3, building on the SIGn-then-MAc (SIGMA) rationale. In its trimming, however, EDHOC notably deviates from the SIGMA design by sending only short, non-unique credential identifiers, and letting recipients perform trial verification to determine the correct communication partner. Done naively, this can lead to identity misbinding attacks when an attacker can control some of the user keys, invalidating the original SIGMA security analysis and contesting the security of EDHOC.

In this work, we formalize a multi-stage key exchange security model capturing the potential attack vectors introduced by non-unique credential identifiers. We show that EDHOC, in its draft version 17, indeed achieves session key security and user authentication even in a strong model where the adversary can register malicious keys with colliding identifiers, given that the employed signature scheme provides so-called exclusive ownership. Through our security result, we confirm cryptographic improvements integrated by the IETF working group in recent draft versions of EDHOC based on recommendations from our and others' analysis.

We give two applications of the "embedding Lemma". The first one is a polynomial time (in $\log q$) algorithm to compute the endomorphism ring $\mathrm{End}(E)$ of an ordinary elliptic curve $E/\mathbb{F}_q$, provided we are given the factorisation of $Δ_π$.

The second application is an algorithm to compute the canonical lift of $E/\mathbb{F}_q$, $q=p^n$, (still assuming that $E$ is ordinary) to precision $m$ in time $\tilde{O}(n m \log^{O(1)} p)$. We deduce a point counting algorithm of complexity $\tilde{O}(n^2 \log^{O(1)} p)$. In particular the complexity is polynomial in $\log p$, by contrast of what is usually expected of a $p$-adic cohomology computation. This algorithm generalizes to ordinary abelian varieties.

A (single server) private information retrieval (PIR) allows a client to read data from a public database held on a remote server, without revealing to the server which locations she is reading. In a doubly efficient PIR (DEPIR), the database is first preprocessed, but the server can subsequently answer any client's query in time that is sub-linear in the database size. Prior work gave a plausible candidate for a public-key variant of DEPIR, where a trusted party is needed to securely preprocess the database and generate a corresponding public key for the clients; security relied on a new non-standard code-based assumption and a heuristic use of ideal obfuscation. In this work we construct the stronger unkeyed notion of DEPIR, where the preprocessing is a deterministic procedure that the server can execute on its own. Moreover, we prove security under just the standard ring learning-with-errors (RingLWE) assumption. For a database of size $N$ and any constant $\varepsilon>0$, the preprocessing run-time and size is $O(N^{1+\varepsilon})$, while the run-time and communication-complexity of each PIR query is $polylog(N)$. We also show how to update the preprocessed database in time $O(N^\varepsilon)$. Our approach is to first construct a standard PIR where the server's computation consists of evaluating a multivariate polynomial; we then convert it to a DEPIR by preprocessing the polynomial to allow for fast evaluation, using the techniques of Kedlaya and Umans (STOC '08).

Building on top of our DEPIR, we construct general fully homomorphic encryption for random-access machines (RAM-FHE), which allows a server to homomorphically evaluate an arbitrary RAM program $P$ over a client's encrypted input $x$ and the server's preprocessed plaintext input $y$ to derive an encryption of the output $P(x,y)$ in time that scales with the RAM run-time of the computation rather than its circuit size. Prior work only gave a heuristic candidate construction of a restricted notion of RAM-FHE. In this work, we construct RAM-FHE under the RingLWE assumption with circular security. For a RAM program $P$ with worst-case run-time $T$, the homomorphic evaluation runs in time $T^{1+\varepsilon} \cdot polylog(|x| + |y|)$.

To achieve semantic security, symmetric encryption schemes classically require ciphertext expansion. In this paper we provide a means to achieve semantic security while preserving the length of messages at the cost of mildly sacrificing correctness. Concretely, we propose a new scheme that can be interpreted as a secure alternative to (or wrapper around) plain Electronic Codebook (ECB) mode of encryption, and for this reason we name it Secure Codebook (SCB). Our scheme is the first length-preserving encryption scheme to effectively achieve semantic security.

This paper presents a new method for quantum identity authentication (QIA) protocols. The logic of classical zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) due to Schnorr is applied in quantum circuits and algorithms. This novel approach gives an exact way with which a prover $P$ can prove they know some secret without transmitting that directly to a verifier $V$ by means of a quantum channel - allowing for a ZKP wherein an eavesdropper or manipulation can be detected with a 'fail safe' design. With the anticipated advent of a 'quantum internet', such protocols and ideas may soon have utility and execution in the real world.

Internet of vehicles (IoV) has brought technological revolution in the fields of intelligent transport system and smart cities. With the rise in self-driven cars and AI managed traffic system, threats to such systems have increased significantly. There is an immediate need to mitigate such attacks and ensure security, trust and privacy. Any malfunctioning or misbehaviour in an IoV based system can lead to fatal accidents. This is because IoV based systems are sensitive in nature involving human lives either on or off the roads. Any compromise to such systems can affect user safety and incur in service delays. For IoV users, the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is crucial to protect them from different malware-based attacks and to ensure the security of users and infrastructures. Machine Learning approaches are used for extracting useful features from network traffic and also for predicting the patterns of anomalous activities. We use two datasets, namely Balanced DDoS dataset and Car-Hacking Dataset for comparative study of intrusion detection using various machine learning approaches. The comparative study shows the differences of various machine learning and deep learning approaches against two datasets.

We look at the use of cryptography to obfuscate malware. Most surveys on malware obfuscation only discuss simple encryption techniques (e.g., XOR encryption), which are easy to defeat (in principle), since the decryption algorithm and the key is shipped within the program. This SoK proposes a principled definition of malware obfuscation, and categorises instances of malware obfuscation that use cryptographic tools into those which evade detection and those which are detectable. The SoK first examines easily detectable schemes such as string encryption, class encryption and XOR encoding, found in most obfuscated malware. It then details schemes that can be shown to be hard to break, such as the use of environmental keying. We also analyse formal cryptographic obfuscation, i.e., the notions of indistinguishability and virtual black box obfuscation, from the lens of our proposed model on malware obfuscation.

This paper introduces new digital signature scheme whose security against existential forgery under adaptive chosen message attack is based on hardness of the Syndrome Decoding Problem. The hardness assumption is quite simple and hence easy to analyze and investigate. The scheme as whole is neat with intuitive security definition and proof in addition to elegant and efficient signing and verifying algorithms. We propose parameter sets for three security levels (128-bits, 192-bits, and 256 bits) and estimate the corresponding sizes of the keys and the signature for each level. Additionally, the scheme has an interesting feature of signature verification using an arbitrary part of the public key, which allows the verifying party to store a small random secret part of the public key rather than the full-size public key. Using small part of the public key for verification gives us more time and memory efficient verification mode which we call Light Verification Key Mode (LVK) mode. Also, we suggest Light Signing Key Mode (LSK) which enables a smaller size of the private (signing) key while maintaining the same security level.

The NIST LightWeight Cryptography (LWC) selection process aims to standardise cryptographic functionality which is suitable for resource-constrained devices. Since the outcome is likely to have significant, long-lived impact, careful evaluation of each submission with respect to metrics explicitly outlined in the call is imperative. Beyond the robustness of submissions against cryptanalytic attack, metrics related to their implementation (e.g., execution latency and memory footprint) form an important example. Aiming to provide evidence allowing richer evaluation with respect to such metrics, this paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of one separate Instruction Set Extension (ISE) for each of the 10 LWC final round submissions, namely Ascon, Elephant, GIFT-COFB, Grain-128AEADv2, ISAP, PHOTON-Beetle, Romulus, Sparkle, TinyJAMBU, and Xoodyak; although we base the work on use of RISC-V, we argue that it provides more general insight.

Kyber is a key-encapsulation mechanism (KEM) that was recently selected by NIST in its PQC standardization process; it is also the \(\textit{only}\) scheme to be selected in the context of public-key encryption (PKE) and key establishment. The main security target for KEMs, and their associated PKE schemes, in the NIST PQC context has been IND-CCA security. However, some important modern applications also require their underlying KEMs/PKE schemes to provide \(\textit{anonymity}\) (Bellare \(\textit{et al.}\), ASIACRYPT 2001). Examples of such applications include anonymous credential systems, cryptocurrencies, broadcast encryption schemes, authenticated key exchange, and auction protocols. It is hence important to analyze the compatibility of NIST's new PQC standard in such "beyond IND-CCA" applications.

Some starting steps were taken by Grubbs \(\textit{et al.}\) (EUROCRYPT 2022) and Xagawa (EUROCRYPT 2022) wherein they studied the anonymity properties of most NIST PQC third round candidate KEMs. Unfortunately, they were unable to show the anonymity of Kyber because of certain technical barriers.

In this paper, we overcome said barriers and resolve the open problems posed by Grubbs \(\textit{et al.}\) (EUROCRYPT 2022) and Xagawa (EUROCRYPT 2022) by establishing the anonymity of Kyber, and the (hybrid) PKE schemes derived from it, in a post-quantum setting. Along the way, we also provide an approach to obtain tight IND-CCA security proofs for Kyber with \(\textit{concrete}\) bounds; this resolves another issue identified by the aforementioned works related to the post-quantum IND-CCA security claims of Kyber from a provable security point-of-view. Our results also extend to Saber, a NIST PQC third round finalist, in a similar fashion.

Federated learning (FL) is an increasingly popular approach for machine learning (ML) in cases where the train- ing dataset is highly distributed. Clients perform local training on their datasets and the updates are then aggregated into the global model. Existing protocols for aggregation are either inefficient, or don’t consider the case of malicious actors in the system. This is a major barrier in making FL an ideal solution for privacy-sensitive ML applications. We present ELSA, a secure aggregation protocol for FL, which breaks this barrier - it is efficient and addresses the existence of malicious actors at the core of its design. Similar to prior work on Prio and Prio+, ELSA provides a novel secure aggregation protocol built out of distributed trust across two servers that keeps individual client updates private as long as one server is honest, defends against malicious clients and is efficient end-to-end. Compared to prior works, the distinguishing theme in ELSA is that instead of the servers generating cryptographic correlations interactively, the clients act as untrusted dealers of these correlations without compromising the protocol’s security. This leads to a much faster protocol while also achieving stronger security at that ef- ficiency compared to prior work. We introduce new techniques that retain privacy even when a server is malicious at a small added cost of 7-25% in runtime with negligible increase in communication over the case of semi-honest server. Our work improves end-to-end runtime over prior work with similar security guarantees by big margins - single-aggregator RoFL by up to 305x (for the models we consider), and distributed trust Prio by up to 8x

In 2019, Essaid et al. proposed an encryption scheme for color images based on chaotic maps. Their solution uses two enhanced chaotic maps to dynamically generate the secret substitution boxes and the key bytes used by the cryptosystem. Note that both types of parameters are dependent on the size of the original image. The authors claim that their proposal provides enough security for transmitting color images over unsecured channels. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In this paper, we introduce two cryptanalytic attacks for Essaid et al.'s encryption scheme. The first one is a chosen plaintext attack, which for a given size, requires $256$ chosen plaintexts to allow an attacker to decrypt any image of this size. The second attack is a a chosen ciphertext attack, which compared to the first one, requires $512$ chosen ciphertexts to break the scheme for a given size. These attacks are possible because the generated substitution boxes and key bits remain unchanged for different plaintext images.

Identity-based encryption with equality test (IBEET) is a variant of identity-based encryption (IBE), where any users who have trapdoors can check whether two ciphertexts are encryption of the same plaintext. Although several lattice-based IBEET schemes have been proposed, they have drawbacks in either security or efficiency. Specifically, most schemes satisfy only selective security, while adaptively secure schemes in the standard model suffer from large master public keys that consist of linear numbers of matrices. In other words, known lattice-based IBEET schemes perform poorly compared to the state-of-the-art lattice-based IBE schemes (without equality test). In this paper, we propose a semi-generic construction of CCA-secure lattice-based IBEET from a certain class of lattice-based IBE schemes. As a result, we obtain the first lattice-based IBEET schemes with adaptive security and CCA security in the standard model. Furthermore, our semi-generic construction can use several state-of-the-art lattice-based IBE schemes as underlying schemes. Then, we have adaptively secure lattice-based IBEET schemes whose public keys have only poly-log matrices.

Event date: 10 July to 14 July 2023
Submission deadline: 20 February 2023
Notification: 20 March 2023

Event date: 19 June to 22 June 2023
Submission deadline: 15 March 2023
Notification: 19 April 2023

We are hiring two Ph.D. students to contribute to a research project entitled "Advanced Cryptography for Finance and Privacy (CryptoFin)", which is funded by the Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR) through the CORE program. Candidates with research interests in one or more of the following areas are particularly encouraged to apply:

• applied or symmetric cryptography
• cryptofinance, cryptoeconomics, blockchains
• anonymity and privacy on the Internet

Your Profile

• M.Sc. degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics or a related field
• GPA of at least 80% in both the bachelor and master studies
• Strong mathematical and/or algorithmic CS background (math/CS Olympiads, CTFs a plus)
• Background in applied cryptography, or information security, or economics/finance - a plus
• Good skills in programming, scripting languages. Math tools - a plus.
• Commitment, team working and a critical mind
• Fluent written and verbal communication skills in English

We offer The University offers a Ph.D. study program with a Fixed Term Contract up to 3 years with extension into the 4th year based on performance, on full time basis (40hrs/week). The University offers highly competitive salaries and is an equal opportunity employer. You will work in an exciting international environment and will carry leading edge research in these rapidly evolving areas, which will have direct impact on the future. Application Applications, written in English, should be submitted online and should include:

• A very brief cover letter explaining the candidate's motivation and research interests
• Curriculum Vitae (including photo, education/research, work experience, interests)
• Transcripts of B.Sc. and M.Sc. grades
• Information about contributions to open-source projects, participation in research competitions, Olympiads, CTFs, etc.

Deadline for applications: January 6, 2023. Applications will be considered on receipt therefore applying before the deadline is encouraged.

Closing date for applications:

Contact: Prof. Alex Biryukov (e-mail: first name dot family name (at) uni.lu)

More information: http://cryptolux.org/index.php/Vacancies

The Department of Computer Science at Aalto University - in the top 20 young universities worldwide - invites applications for tenure-track positions at the assistant professor level. We welcome applications in all areas of computer science, with a special focus on candidates with expertise in the following areas.

• Programming languages; Programming methodologies
• Databases; Data management
• Software engineering: software systems specification, implementation, validation
• Operating Systems; Hardware-software interface

Women and others underrepresented in computer science are especially encouraged to apply.

The Department of Computer Science (https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-computer-science) is home to world-class research in modern computer science, combining research on foundations and innovative applications. An international community with 46 professors and more than 400 employees from 50 countries, it is the largest department at Aalto University and the largest computer science unit in Finland. The department consistently ranks high in global rankings, for example, the first in Nordic countries and Northeastern Europe and the 73rd overall in Times Higher Education ranking for 2023.

Finland is a great place for living with or without a family: it is a safe and well-organized Nordic society, where equality is highly valued and extensive social security supports people in all situations of life. Finland's free high-quality education system is also internationally renowned.

For more information and the application form visit: https://www.aalto.fi/en/open-positions/assistant-professors-computer-science

The call is open until January 15, 2023.

Closing date for applications:

Contact: Prof. Jussi Rintanen or for recruitment process-related questions HR Partner Laura Kuusisto-Noponen

More information: https://www.aalto.fi/en/open-positions/assistant-professors-computer-science