Cryptanalysis Taskforce

The CATF team has been rigorously working on the quantum cryptanalysis since 2020, i.e., to study the impact of quantum computer to symmetric-key cryptography, and to build replacement when necessary. For AES-like hashing, we have investigated thoroughly on the quantum resistance of collision attacks, multi-collision attacks, herding attacks, and found the 8-round quantum collision attack (the first ever 8-round attack on the foundamental security of AES). On SHA-3 family, We launched the first and have been keeping the record of 6-round collision attacks in quantum setting. Beyond the primitive level cryptanalysis, we extend most of the generic attacks on general Merkle-Damgard hash functions and combiners in the classical setting into quantum, including preimage attacks, second preimage attacks, collision attacks, and herding attacks.

1. X. Dong, J. Guo, S. Li, P. Pham, T. Zhang: Improved Meet-in-the-Middle Nostradamus Attacks on AES-like Hashing. Fast Software Encryption - FSE 2024 / ToSC 2024 Issue 1. doi-eprint
   
   

2. Z. Bao, J. Guo, S. Li, P. Pham: Automatic Quantum Multi-collision Distinguishers and Rebound Attacks with Triangulation Algorithm. Australian Conference on Information Security and Privacy - ACISP 2024. doi-eprint
   
   

3. S. Chen, C. Guo, J. Guo, L. Liu, M. Wang, P. Wei, Z. Xu: Related-Key Differential Cryptanalysis of GMiMC Used in Post-Quantum Signatures. Internatonal Conference on Information Security and Cryptology - ICISC 2022. doi-archive 

4. Z. Bao, J. Guo, S. Li, P. Pham: Evaluating the Security of Merkle-Damgård Hash Functions and Combiners in Quantum Settings. International Conference on Network and System Security - NSS 2022. doi-eprint
   
   

5. J. Guo, G. Liu, L. Song, Y. Tu: Exploring SAT for Cryptanalysis: (Quantum) Collision Attacks against 6-Round SHA-3. Advances in Cryptology - ASIACRYPT 2022. doi-eprint

6. X. Dong, J. Guo, S. Li, P. Pham: Triangulating Rebound Attack on AES-like Hashing. Advances in Cryptology - CRYPTO 2022 . doi-eprint