Cube-Type Algebraic Attacks on Wireless Encryption Protocols
Abstract
In this study, we investigated an algebraic-type attack, known as the cube attack, against wireless networks. We implemented the cube attack in a wireless system, namely Bluetooth. We formally modeled the encryption function of E0 Bluetooth key generator and automated the process of the cube attack on E0 of the factorization process (preprocessing phase). In this phase, an attacker finds as many maxterms (a term of the encryption function such that its co-factor is a linear nonconstant polynomial) as possible. In the actual attacking phase, the attacker solves the system of linear equations through a chosen plaintext attack and reveals useful information about the cryptosystem. The number of operations needed in the computational process is 221.1 and is considerably less than that of similar algebraic types of attacks, but it is limited to the output of the LFSRs at any clock cycle. The results of our analysis indicate that if an attacker is an unauthorized participant of the security protocol, then by manipulating some of the output bits of the LFSRs of two arbitrary clock cycles and intercepting the output bits of the entire machine the attacker then succeeds in finding the output bits of the LFSRs at any clock tick.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA509017
Entities
People
- Nikolaos Petrakos
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School