Post-Quantum Cryptography(PQC): Generalized ElGamal Cipher over GL(8,F251)

TL;DR

This paper introduces a post-quantum asymmetric cipher based on a generalized ElGamal protocol over a non-commutative linear group, achieving high security levels with efficient arithmetic suitable for limited devices.

Contribution

It presents a novel non-commutative ElGamal-based cryptographic protocol over GL(8, F251) with security based on a hard subgroup membership problem, optimized for resource-constrained platforms.

Findings

Achieves 64-bit security with GL(8, F251)

Reaches 127-bit security with GL(16, F251)

No need for big number libraries, suitable for limited devices

Abstract

Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) attempts to find cryptographic protocols resistant to attacks using for instance Shor's polynomial time algorithm for numerical field problems like integer factorization (IFP) or the discrete logarithm (DLP). Other aspects are the backdoors discovered in deterministic random generators or recent advances in solving some instances of DLP. Using alternative algebraic structures like non-commutative or non-associative partial groupoids, magmas, monoids, semigroups, quasigroups or groups, are valid choices for these new protocols. This paper focuses on an asymmetric cipher based on a generalized ElGamal non-arbitrated protocol using a non-commutative general linear group. The developed protocol forces a hard subgroup membership search problem into a non-commutative structure. The protocol involves at first a generalized Diffie-Hellman key interchange and further on the private and public parameters are recursively updated each time a new cipher session is launched. Security is based on a hard variation of the Generalized Symmetric Decomposition Problem (GSDP). Working with GL(8, F251) 64-bit security is achieved, and if GL(16, F251) is chosen, the security rises to 127-bit. An appealing feature is that there is no need for big number libraries as all arithmetic is performed in Z_251. Therefore the new protocol is particularly useful for computational platforms with very limited capabilities like smartphones or smartcards.