Recovering short secret keys of RLCE in polynomial time

TL;DR

This paper introduces a polynomial-time attack that successfully recovers secret keys in the RLCE cryptosystem, challenging its security claims for short key parameters.

Contribution

It provides the first known polynomial-time key recovery attack against RLCE, demonstrating vulnerabilities in the scheme's short key configurations.

Findings

Successfully recovers secret keys for all tested short key parameters

Demonstrates polynomial-time complexity of the attack

Challenges RLCE's security assumptions for certain parameter sets

Abstract

We present a key recovery attack against Y. Wang's Random Linear Code Encryption (RLCE) scheme recently submitted to the NIST call for post-quantum cryptography. This attack recovers the secret key for all the short key parameters proposed by the author.