Mod n cryptanalysis

This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

In cryptography, mod $n$ cryptanalysis is an attack applicable to block and stream ciphers. It is a form of partitioning cryptanalysis that exploits unevenness in how the cipher operates over equivalence classes (congruence classes) modulo $n$ . The method was first suggested in 1999 by John Kelsey, Bruce Schneier, and David Wagner and applied to RC5P (a variant of RC5) and M6 (a family of block ciphers used in the FireWire standard). These attacks used the properties of binary addition and bit rotation modulo a Fermat prime.

Mod 3 analysis of RC5P

For RC5P, analysis was conducted modulo 3. It was observed that the operations in the cipher (rotation and addition, both on 32-bit words) were somewhat biased over congruence classes mod 3. To illustrate the approach, consider left rotation by a single bit:

X\lll 1=\left\{{\begin{matrix}2X,&{\mbox{if }}X<2^{31}\\2X+1-2^{32},&{\mbox{if }}X\geq 2^{31}\end{matrix}}\right.

Then, because

2^{32}\equiv 1{\pmod {3}},\,

it follows that

X\lll 1\equiv 2X{\pmod {3}}.

Thus left rotation by a single bit has a simple description modulo 3. Analysis of other operations (data dependent rotation and modular addition) reveals similar, notable biases. Although there are some theoretical problems analysing the operations in combination, the bias can be detected experimentally for the entire cipher. In (Kelsey et al., 1999), experiments were conducted up to seven rounds, and based on this they conjecture that as many as 19 or 20 rounds of RC5P can be distinguished from random using this attack. There is also a corresponding method for recovering the secret key.

Against M6 there are attacks mod 5 and mod 257 that are even more effective.

References

John Kelsey, Bruce Schneier, David Wagner (March 1999). Mod n Cryptanalysis, with Applications Against RC5P and M6 (PDF/PostScript). Fast Software Encryption, Sixth International Workshop Proceedings. Rome: Springer-Verlag. pp. 139–155. Retrieved 2007-02-12.{{cite conference}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Vincent Rijmen (2003-12-01). ""mod n" Cryptanalysis of Rabbit" (PDF). White paper, Version 1.0. Cryptico. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Toshio Tokita; Tsutomu Matsumoto. "On Applicability of Differential Cryptanalysis, Linear Cryptanalysis and Mod n Cryptanalysis to an Encryption Algorithm M8 (ISO9979-20)". Ipsj Journal. 42 (8).

v t e Block ciphers (security summary)
Common algorithms	AES Blowfish DES (internal mechanics, Triple DES) Serpent SM4 Twofish
Less common algorithms	ARIA Camellia CAST-128 GOST IDEA LEA RC5 RC6 SEED Skipjack TEA XTEA
Other algorithms	3-Way Adiantum Akelarre Anubis Ascon BaseKing BassOmatic BATON BEAR and LION CAST-256 Chiasmus CIKS-1 CIPHERUNICORN-A CIPHERUNICORN-E CLEFIA CMEA Cobra COCONUT98 Crab Cryptomeria/C2 CRYPTON CS-Cipher DEAL DES-X DFC E2 FEAL FEA-M FROG G-DES Grand Cru Hasty Pudding cipher Hierocrypt ICE IDEA NXT Intel Cascade Cipher Iraqi Kalyna KASUMI KeeLoq KHAZAD Khufu and Khafre KN-Cipher Kuznyechik Ladder-DES LOKI (97, 89/91) Lucifer M6 M8 MacGuffin Madryga MAGENTA MARS Mercy MESH MISTY1 MMB MULTI2 MultiSwap New Data Seal NewDES Nimbus NOEKEON NUSH PRESENT Prince Q QARMA RC2 REDOC Red Pike S-1 SAFER SAVILLE SC2000 SHACAL SHARK Simon Speck Spectr-H64 Square SXAL/MBAL Threefish Treyfer UES xmx XXTEA Zodiac
Design	Feistel network Key schedule Lai–Massey scheme Product cipher S-box P-box SPN Confusion and diffusion Round Avalanche effect Block size Key size Key whitening (Whitening transformation)
Attack (cryptanalysis)	Brute-force (EFF DES cracker) MITM Biclique attack 3-subset MITM attack Algebraic Cube attack Gröbner attack Linear (Piling-up lemma) Differential Impossible Truncated Higher-order Differential-linear Distinguishing (Known-key) Integral/Square Boomerang Mod n Related-key Slide Rotational Side-channel Timing Power-monitoring Electromagnetic Acoustic Differential-fault XSL Interpolation Partitioning Rubber-hose Black-bag Davies Rebound Weak key Tau Chi-square Time/memory/data tradeoff
Standardization	AES process CRYPTREC NESSIE NSA Suite B CNSA
Utilization	Initialization vector Mode of operation Padding

v t e Cryptography
General	History of cryptography Outline of cryptography Classical cipher Cryptographic protocol Authentication protocol Cryptographic primitive Cryptanalysis Cryptocurrency Cryptosystem Cryptographic nonce Cryptovirology Hash function Cryptographic hash function Key derivation function Secure Hash Algorithms Digital signature Kleptography Key (cryptography) Key exchange Key generator Key schedule Key stretching Keygen Machines Ransomware Random number generation Cryptographically secure pseudorandom number generator (CSPRNG) Pseudorandom noise (PRN) Secure channel Insecure channel Subliminal channel Encryption Decryption End-to-end encryption Harvest now, decrypt later Information-theoretic security Plaintext Codetext Ciphertext Shared secret Trapdoor function Trusted timestamping Key-based routing Onion routing Garlic routing Kademlia Mix network
Mathematics	Cryptographic hash function Block cipher Stream cipher Symmetric-key algorithm Authenticated encryption Public-key cryptography Quantum key distribution Quantum cryptography Post-quantum cryptography Message authentication code Random numbers Steganography
Category

Mod 3 analysis of RC5P

References

Related Essays & Commentary

Cargo Cult Science

Earth Microbes Could Survive on the Moon, Raising Contamination Fears Ahead of Artemis

The first post, built on a secure new foundation.

Why We Can't Return to a Pre-Industrial Society