Baofeng Wu

Jianhua Wang, Lu Qin, Baofeng Wu

In this paper, we improve the cube attack by exploiting low-degree factors of the superpoly w.r.t. certain "special" index set of cube (ISoC). This can be viewed as a special case of the correlation cube attack proposed at Eurocrypt 2018, but under our framework more beneficial equations on the key variables can be obtained in the key-recovery phase. To mount our attack, one has two challenging problems: effectively recover algebraic normal form of the superpoly and extract out its low-degree factors; and efficiently search a large quantity of good ISoCs. We bring in new techniques to solve both of them. First, we propose the variable substitution technique for middle rounds of a cipher, in which polynomials on the key variables in the algebraic expressions of internal states are substituted by new variables. This will improve computational complexity of the superpoly recovery and promise more compact superpolys that can be easily decomposed with respect to the new variables. Second, we propose the vector numeric mapping technique, which seeks out a tradeoff between efficiency of the numeric mapping technique and accuracy of the monomial prediction technique in degree evaluation of superpolys. Combining with this technique, a fast pruning method is given and modeled by MILP to filter good ISoCs of which the algebraic degree satisfies some fixed threshold. Thanks to automated MILP solvers, it becomes practical to comprehensively search for good cubes across the entire search space. To illustrate the power of our techniques, we apply all of them to Trivium stream cipher. The previous best practical key recovery attack was on 820-round Trivium with complexity $2^{53.17}$. We put forward 820-, 825- and 830-round practical key-recovery attacks, in which there are 2^{80}\times 87.8%, 2^{80}\times 83% and 2^{80}\times 65.7% keys that could be practically recovered, respectively.

Baofeng Wu

In this paper, we prove the conjecture posed by Keller and Rosemarin at Eurocrypt 2021 on the nullity of a matrix polynomial of a block matrix with Hadamard type blocks over commutative rings of characteristic 2. Therefore, it confirms the conjectural optimal bound on the dimension of invariant subspace of the Starkad cipher using the HADES design strategy. Moreover, we reveal the algebraic structure formed by Hadamard matrices over commutative rings from the perspectives of group algebra and polynomial algebra. An interesting relation between block-Hadamard matrices and Hadamard-block matrices is obtained as well.

Baofeng Wu, Qingfang Jin, Zhuojun Liu et al.

We propose a general approach to construct cryptographic significant Boolean functions of $(r+1)m$ variables based on the additive decomposition $\mathbb{F}_{2^{rm}}\times\mathbb{F}_{2^m}$ of the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{2^{(r+1)m}}$, where $r$ is odd and $m\geq3$. A class of unbalanced functions are constructed first via this approach, which coincides with a variant of the unbalanced class of generalized Tu-Deng functions in the case $r=1$. This class of functions have high algebraic degree, but their algebraic immunity does not exceeds $m$, which is impossible to be optimal when $r>1$. By modifying these unbalanced functions, we obtain a class of balanced functions which have optimal algebraic degree and high nonlinearity (shown by a lower bound we prove). These functions have optimal algebraic immunity provided a combinatorial conjecture on binary strings which generalizes the Tu-Deng conjecture is true. Computer investigations show that, at least for small values of number of variables, functions from this class also behave well against fast algebraic attacks.

Baofeng Wu, Jia Zheng

In this correspondence, an equivalent definition of algebraic immunity of Boolean functions is posed, which can clear up the confusion caused by the proof of optimal algebraic immunity of the Carlet-Feng function and some other functions constructed by virtue of Carlet and Feng's idea.

Baofeng Wu, Jia Zheng, Zhuojun Liu

In this paper, we propose a new construction of quadratic bent functions in polynomial forms. Right Euclid algorithm in skew-polynomial rings over finite fields of characteristic 2 is applied in the proof.

Jia Zheng, Baofeng Wu, Yufu Chen et al.

Constructing $2m$-variable Boolean functions with optimal algebraic immunity based on decomposition of additive group of the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{2^{2m}}$ seems to be a promising approach since Tu and Deng's work. In this paper, we consider the same problem in a new way. Based on polar decomposition of the multiplicative group of $\mathbb{F}_{2^{2m}}$, we propose a new construction of Boolean functions with optimal algebraic immunity. By a slight modification of it, we obtain a class of balanced Boolean functions achieving optimal algebraic immunity, which also have optimal algebraic degree and high nonlinearity. Computer investigations imply that this class of functions also behave well against fast algebraic attacks.