Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
Make the build happy
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
  • Loading branch information
dconnolly committed Dec 11, 2024
1 parent e2ef595 commit a4fa645
Showing 1 changed file with 36 additions and 34 deletions.
70 changes: 36 additions & 34 deletions draft-ietf-pquip-hybrid-signature-spectrums.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -131,11 +131,11 @@ https://github.com/dconnolly/draft-ietf-pquip-hybrid-signature-spectrums

# Introduction {#introduction}

Plans to transition protocols to post-quantum cryptography sometimes focus
on confidentiality, given the potential risk of store and decrypt attacks,
where data encrypted today using traditional algorithms could be decrypted
in the future by an attacker with a sufficiently powerful quantum computer,
a.k.a. a Cryptographically-Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC).
Plans to transition protocols to post-quantum cryptography sometimes focus on
confidentiality, given the potential risk of store and decrypt attacks, where
data encrypted today using traditional algorithms could be decrypted in the
future by an attacker with a sufficiently powerful quantum computer, also
known as a Cryptographically-Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC).

It is important to also consider transitions to post-quantum authentication;
delaying such transitions creates risks. For example, attackers may be able
Expand All @@ -145,25 +145,26 @@ algorithm turn-over is complex or takes a long time. There are also
applications where future checks on past authenticity play a role, such as
long-lived digital signatures on legal documents.

Still, there have been successful attacks against proposals using post-quantum
cryptography. Sometimes an attack exploits implementation issues, such as
[KYBERSLASH], which exploits timing variations, or [HQC_CVE] which exploits
implementation bugs. Sometimes an attack works for all implementations of
the specified algorithm. Research has indicated that implementation-independent
attacks published in 2023 or earlier had broken 48% of the proposals in
Round 1 of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project,
25% of the proposals not broken in Round 1, and 36% of the proposals
selected by NIST for Round 2 [QRCSP].

Such cryptanalysis and security concerns are one reason for to consider 'hybrid'
cryptographic algorithms, which combine both traditional and post-quantum (or
more generally a combination of two or more) algorithms. A core objective of
hybrid algorithms is to protect against quantum computers while at the
same time making clear that the change is not reducing security. A premise of
security of these algorithms being that if at least one of the two component
algorithms of the hybrid scheme holds, the confidentiality or authenticity
offered by that scheme is maintained. It should be noted that the word 'hybrid'
has many uses but this document uses 'hybrid' only in this algorithm sense.
Still, there have been successful attacks against proposals using
post-quantum cryptography. Sometimes an attack exploits implementation
issues, such as [KYBERSLASH], which exploits timing variations, or [HQC_CVE]
which exploits implementation bugs. Sometimes an attack works for all
implementations of the specified algorithm. Research has indicated that
implementation-independent attacks published in 2023 or earlier had broken
48% of the proposals in Round 1 of the NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography
Standardization Project, 25% of the proposals not broken in Round 1, and 36%
of the proposals selected by NIST for Round 2 [QRCSP].

Such cryptanalysis and security concerns are one reason for to consider
'hybrid' cryptographic algorithms, which combine both traditional and
post-quantum (or more generally a combination of two or more) algorithms. A
core objective of hybrid algorithms is to protect against quantum computers
while at the same time making clear that the change is not reducing
security. A premise of security of these algorithms being that if at least
one of the two component algorithms of the hybrid scheme holds, the
confidentiality or authenticity offered by that scheme is maintained. It
should be noted that the word 'hybrid' has many uses but this document uses
'hybrid' only in this algorithm sense.

Whether or not hybridization is desired depends on the use case and security
threat model. Users may recognize a need to start post-quantum transition,
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -548,16 +549,17 @@ simultaneously. Namely, "missing" information needs to be computed by the
verifier so that a normally functioning verification algorithm cannot “quit”
the verification process before both component signatures are verified. This
may additionally cover some error-injection and similar attacks, where an
adversary attempts to make an otherwise honest verifier skip component algorithm
verification. SV mimics traditional digital signatures guarantees, essentially
ensuring that the hybrid digital signature behaves as a single algorithm vs.
two separate component stages. Alternatively phrased, under an SV guarantee it
is not possible for an otherwise honest verifier to initiate termination of the
hybrid verification upon successful verification of one component algorithm
without also knowing if the other component succeeded. Note that SV does not
prevent dishonest verification, such as if a verifier maliciously implements a
customized verification algorithm that is designed with intention to subvert
the hybrid verification process or skips signature verification altogether.
adversary attempts to make an otherwise honest verifier skip component
algorithm verification. SV mimics traditional digital signatures guarantees,
essentially ensuring that the hybrid digital signature behaves as a single
algorithm vs. two separate component stages. Alternatively phrased, under an
SV guarantee it is not possible for an otherwise honest verifier to initiate
termination of the hybrid verification upon successful verification of one
component algorithm without also knowing if the other component
succeeded. Note that SV does not prevent dishonest verification, such as if a
verifier maliciously implements a customized verification algorithm that is
designed with intention to subvert the hybrid verification process or skips
signature verification altogether.

### **Hybrid Generality**

Expand Down

0 comments on commit a4fa645

Please sign in to comment.