An Open Question on the Uniqueness of (Encrypted) Arithmetic

TL;DR

This paper explores whether different encrypted representations of arithmetic can occupy the same space, proposing ABC encryption as a defense against algebraic attacks in encrypted processors.

Contribution

It introduces ABC encryption, a novel method that prevents algebraic attacks on encrypted arithmetic in crypto-processors, and demonstrates how to construct such encrypted systems.

Findings

ABC encryption effectively thwarts algebraic attacks.

Construction methods for encrypted arithmetic are provided.

The approach enhances security in encrypted processor design.

Abstract

We ask whether two or more images of arithmetic may inhabit the same space via different encodings. The answers have significance for a class of processor design that does all its computation in an encrypted form, without ever performing any decryption or encryption itself. Against the possibility of algebraic attacks against the arithmetic in a `crypto-processor' (KPU) we propose a defence called `ABC encryption' and show how this kind of encryption makes it impossible for observations of the arithmetic to be used by an attacker to discover the actual values. We also show how to construct such encrypted arithmetics.