Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2022/060

Quantum Boomerang Attacks and Some Applications

Paul Frixons and María Naya-Plasencia and André Schrottenloher

Abstract: In this paper, we study quantum key-recovery attacks on block ciphers. While it is well known that a quantum adversary can generically speed up an exhaustive search of the key, much less is known on how to use specific vulnerabilities of the cipher to accelerate this procedure. In this context, we show how to convert classical boomerang and mixing boomerang attacks into efficient quantum key-recovery attacks. In some cases, we can even obtain a quadratic speedup, the same as simple differential attacks. We apply this technique to a 5-round attack on SAFER++.

Category / Keywords: secret-key cryptography / boomerang attack, post-quantum security, mixing boomerang attack, SAFER++, AES

Original Publication (with major differences): SAC 2021

Date: received 17 Jan 2022

Contact author: andre schrottenloher at m4x org, maria naya_plasencia at inria fr, paul frixons at inria fr

Available format(s): PDF | BibTeX Citation

Note: Full version of the paper.

Version: 20220118:161903 (All versions of this report)

Short URL: ia.cr/2022/060