Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and Hydra

Ciminion and Hydra are two recently introduced symmetric key Pseudo- Random Functions for Multi-Party Computation applications. For efficiency, both primitives utilize quadratic permutations at round level. Therefore, polynomial system solving-based attacks pose a serious threat to these primitives...

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Main Author: Matthias Johann Steiner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ruhr-Universität Bochum 2025-03-01
Series:IACR Transactions on Symmetric Cryptology
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Online Access:https://tosc.iacr.org/index.php/ToSC/article/view/12076
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author Matthias Johann Steiner
author_facet Matthias Johann Steiner
author_sort Matthias Johann Steiner
collection DOAJ
description Ciminion and Hydra are two recently introduced symmetric key Pseudo- Random Functions for Multi-Party Computation applications. For efficiency, both primitives utilize quadratic permutations at round level. Therefore, polynomial system solving-based attacks pose a serious threat to these primitives. For Ciminion, we construct a quadratic degree reverse lexicographic (DRL) Gröbner basis for the iterated polynomial model via linear transformations. With the Gröbner basis we can simplify cryptanalysis, as we no longer need to impose genericity assumptions to derive complexity estimates. For Hydra, with the help of a computer algebra program like SageMath we construct a DRL Gröbner basis for the iterated model via linear transformations and a linear change of coordinates. In the Hydra proposal it was claimed that rH = 31 rounds are sufficient to provide 128 bits of security against Gröbner basis attacks for an ideal adversary with ω = 2. However, via our Hydra Gröbner basis standard term order conversion to a lexicographic (LEX) Gröbner basis requires just 126 bits with ω = 2. Moreover, using a dedicated polynomial system solving technique up to rH = 33 rounds can be attacked below 128 bits for an ideal adversary.
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spelling doaj-art-accd099d9fdc45a3bf9b9fcd8d7cf47a2025-08-20T02:59:57ZengRuhr-Universität BochumIACR Transactions on Symmetric Cryptology2519-173X2025-03-012025110.46586/tosc.v2025.i1.240-275Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and HydraMatthias Johann Steiner0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5206-6579Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria Ciminion and Hydra are two recently introduced symmetric key Pseudo- Random Functions for Multi-Party Computation applications. For efficiency, both primitives utilize quadratic permutations at round level. Therefore, polynomial system solving-based attacks pose a serious threat to these primitives. For Ciminion, we construct a quadratic degree reverse lexicographic (DRL) Gröbner basis for the iterated polynomial model via linear transformations. With the Gröbner basis we can simplify cryptanalysis, as we no longer need to impose genericity assumptions to derive complexity estimates. For Hydra, with the help of a computer algebra program like SageMath we construct a DRL Gröbner basis for the iterated model via linear transformations and a linear change of coordinates. In the Hydra proposal it was claimed that rH = 31 rounds are sufficient to provide 128 bits of security against Gröbner basis attacks for an ideal adversary with ω = 2. However, via our Hydra Gröbner basis standard term order conversion to a lexicographic (LEX) Gröbner basis requires just 126 bits with ω = 2. Moreover, using a dedicated polynomial system solving technique up to rH = 33 rounds can be attacked below 128 bits for an ideal adversary. https://tosc.iacr.org/index.php/ToSC/article/view/12076Gröbner basisCiminionHydra
spellingShingle Matthias Johann Steiner
Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and Hydra
IACR Transactions on Symmetric Cryptology
Gröbner basis
Ciminion
Hydra
title Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and Hydra
title_full Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and Hydra
title_fullStr Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and Hydra
title_full_unstemmed Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and Hydra
title_short Gröbner Basis Cryptanalysis of Ciminion and Hydra
title_sort grobner basis cryptanalysis of ciminion and hydra
topic Gröbner basis
Ciminion
Hydra
url https://tosc.iacr.org/index.php/ToSC/article/view/12076
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