A Bunch of Broken Schemes: A Simple yet Powerful Linear Approach to Analyzing Security of Attribute-Based Encryption

Marloes Venema; Greg Alpár

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-75539-3_5

A Bunch of Broken Schemes: A Simple yet Powerful Linear Approach to Analyzing Security of Attribute-Based Encryption

Marloes Venema^*, Greg Alpár

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Article in proceeding › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Verifying security of advanced cryptographic primitives such as attribute-based encryption (ABE) is often difficult. In this work, we show how to break eleven schemes: two single-authority and nine multi-authority (MA) ABE schemes. Notably, we break DAC-MACS, a highly-cited multi-authority scheme, published at TIFS. This suggests that, indeed, verifying security of complex schemes is complicated, and may require simpler tools. The multi-authority attacks also illustrate that mistakes are made in transforming single-authority schemes into multi-authority ones. To simplify verifying security, we systematize our methods to a linear approach to analyzing generic security of ABE. Our approach is not only useful in analyzing existing schemes, but can also be applied during the design and reviewing of new schemes. As such, it can prevent the employment of insecure (MA-)ABE schemes in the future.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Topics in Cryptology - CT-RSA 2021
Subtitle of host publication	CT-RSA 2021
Editors	Kenneth G. Paterson
Place of Publication	Switzerland
Publisher	Springer
Pages	100-125
Number of pages	26
Volume	12704
Edition	1e
ISBN (Electronic)	9783030755393
ISBN (Print)	9783030755386
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75539-3_5
Publication status	Published - 11 May 2021
Event	Cryptographers' track at the RSA conference 2021 - Online, San Francisco, United States Duration: 17 May 2021 → 20 May 2021 https://sites.google.com/site/ctrsa2021/

Publication series

Series	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Volume	12704
ISSN	0302-9743

Conference

Conference	Cryptographers' track at the RSA conference 2021
Abbreviated title	CT-RSA 2021
Country/Territory	United States
City	San Francisco
Period	17/05/21 → 20/05/21
Internet address	https://sites.google.com/site/ctrsa2021/

Keywords

ABE
Attacks
Attribute-based encryption
Cryptanalysis
Multi-authority attribute
Multi-authority attribute-based encryption

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-75539-3_5

Cite this

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title = "A Bunch of Broken Schemes: A Simple yet Powerful Linear Approach to Analyzing Security of Attribute-Based Encryption",

abstract = "Verifying security of advanced cryptographic primitives such as attribute-based encryption (ABE) is often difficult. In this work, we show how to break eleven schemes: two single-authority and nine multi-authority (MA) ABE schemes. Notably, we break DAC-MACS, a highly-cited multi-authority scheme, published at TIFS. This suggests that, indeed, verifying security of complex schemes is complicated, and may require simpler tools. The multi-authority attacks also illustrate that mistakes are made in transforming single-authority schemes into multi-authority ones. To simplify verifying security, we systematize our methods to a linear approach to analyzing generic security of ABE. Our approach is not only useful in analyzing existing schemes, but can also be applied during the design and reviewing of new schemes. As such, it can prevent the employment of insecure (MA-)ABE schemes in the future.",

keywords = "ABE, Attacks, Attribute-based encryption, Cryptanalysis, Multi-authority attribute, Multi-authority attribute-based encryption",

author = "Marloes Venema and Greg Alp{\'a}r",

year = "2021",

month = may,

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doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-75539-3_5",

language = "English",

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pages = "100--125",

editor = "Paterson, {Kenneth G.}",

booktitle = "Topics in Cryptology - CT-RSA 2021",

edition = "1e",

note = "Cryptographers' track at the RSA conference 2021, CT-RSA 2021 ; Conference date: 17-05-2021 Through 20-05-2021",

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Venema, M & Alpár, G 2021, A Bunch of Broken Schemes: A Simple yet Powerful Linear Approach to Analyzing Security of Attribute-Based Encryption. in KG Paterson (ed.), Topics in Cryptology - CT-RSA 2021: CT-RSA 2021. 1e edn, vol. 12704, Springer, Switzerland, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 12704, pp. 100-125, Cryptographers' track at the RSA conference 2021, San Francisco, United States, 17/05/21. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75539-3_5

A Bunch of Broken Schemes: A Simple yet Powerful Linear Approach to Analyzing Security of Attribute-Based Encryption. / Venema, Marloes; Alpár, Greg.
Topics in Cryptology - CT-RSA 2021: CT-RSA 2021. ed. / Kenneth G. Paterson. Vol. 12704 1e. ed. Switzerland: Springer, 2021. p. 100-125 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 12704).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Article in proceeding › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - A Bunch of Broken Schemes

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AU - Venema, Marloes

AU - Alpár, Greg

PY - 2021/5/11

Y1 - 2021/5/11

N2 - Verifying security of advanced cryptographic primitives such as attribute-based encryption (ABE) is often difficult. In this work, we show how to break eleven schemes: two single-authority and nine multi-authority (MA) ABE schemes. Notably, we break DAC-MACS, a highly-cited multi-authority scheme, published at TIFS. This suggests that, indeed, verifying security of complex schemes is complicated, and may require simpler tools. The multi-authority attacks also illustrate that mistakes are made in transforming single-authority schemes into multi-authority ones. To simplify verifying security, we systematize our methods to a linear approach to analyzing generic security of ABE. Our approach is not only useful in analyzing existing schemes, but can also be applied during the design and reviewing of new schemes. As such, it can prevent the employment of insecure (MA-)ABE schemes in the future.

AB - Verifying security of advanced cryptographic primitives such as attribute-based encryption (ABE) is often difficult. In this work, we show how to break eleven schemes: two single-authority and nine multi-authority (MA) ABE schemes. Notably, we break DAC-MACS, a highly-cited multi-authority scheme, published at TIFS. This suggests that, indeed, verifying security of complex schemes is complicated, and may require simpler tools. The multi-authority attacks also illustrate that mistakes are made in transforming single-authority schemes into multi-authority ones. To simplify verifying security, we systematize our methods to a linear approach to analyzing generic security of ABE. Our approach is not only useful in analyzing existing schemes, but can also be applied during the design and reviewing of new schemes. As such, it can prevent the employment of insecure (MA-)ABE schemes in the future.

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KW - Attribute-based encryption

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KW - Multi-authority attribute

KW - Multi-authority attribute-based encryption

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VL - 12704

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science

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BT - Topics in Cryptology - CT-RSA 2021

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Y2 - 17 May 2021 through 20 May 2021

ER -

A Bunch of Broken Schemes: A Simple yet Powerful Linear Approach to Analyzing Security of Attribute-Based Encryption

Abstract

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Conference

Keywords

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