Algorithmic Innovations in Cryptanalysis of Public Key Cryptography

A special issue of Algorithms (ISSN 1999-4893). This special issue belongs to the section "Analysis of Algorithms and Complexity Theory".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 336

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Nicolas Oresme Laboratory of Mathematics, University of Caen Normandy, Caen, France
Interests: cryptography; algorithms; number theory; machine learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Public key cryptography has witnessed renewed prominence and research interest since the launch of the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2016. With traditional public key cryptosystems such as RSA and ECC set to be replaced in the near future, as confirmed by NIST's recent publication ‘Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards’—specifying the deprecation of RSA, ECDSA, EdDSA, DH, and ECDH by 2030 and their prohibition after 2035—cryptanalysis has become an increasingly vital area of study.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to bring together high-quality research on the cryptanalysis of public key cryptosystems, with a focus on algorithmic advances. We welcome research that explores new algorithmic frameworks, optimization techniques, and heuristic-based approaches for the analysis of both classical and post-quantum cryptographic systems. This includes algorithmic breakthroughs for addressing the mathematical complexity and security assumptions underlying cryptographic schemes. Contributions that evaluate the computational complexity, runtime efficiency, and scalability of cryptanalysis algorithms are also encouraged.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Algorithmic frameworks for cryptanalysis of classical public key cryptosystems (e.g., RSA, ECC, ECDSA, EdDSA, DH, and ECDH);
  • Optimization algorithms for breaking post-quantum cryptographic schemes (e.g., CRYSTALS-KYBER, CRYSTALS-DILITHIUM, FALCON, and SPHINCS+);
  • Heuristic-based cryptanalysis algorithms for Blockchain technologies and applications;
  • Machine learning-driven algorithms for the cryptanalysis of AI-based systems;
  • Algorithms for analyzing cryptographic protocols and Web-based applications;
  • Probabilistic and combinatorial algorithms for attacking watermarking, steganography, and data encryption (image, video, etc.).

We encourage submissions of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and novel case studies. By addressing emerging challenges in cryptanalysis and advancing algorithmic techniques, this Special Issue aims to provide valuable insights into safeguarding future cryptographic standards.

Dr. Abderrahmane Nitaj
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Algorithms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • public key cryptography
  • post-quantum cryptography
  • cryptanalysis algorithms
  • RSA
  • ECC
  • ECDSA
  • EdDSA
  • DH
  • ECDH
  • CRYSTALS-KYBER
  • CRYSTALS-DILITHIUM
  • FALCON
  • SPHINCS+
  • blockchain technologies

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 311 KiB  
Article
Improved Cryptanalysis of Some RSA Variants
by Mohammed Rahmani, Abderrahmane Nitaj and Mhammed Ziane
Algorithms 2025, 18(4), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/a18040223 - 12 Apr 2025
Viewed by 180
Abstract
Several RSA variants enforce a constraint between their public and private keys through the relation ed1(mod(p21)(q21)), where p and q are the prime factors [...] Read more.
Several RSA variants enforce a constraint between their public and private keys through the relation ed1(mod(p21)(q21)), where p and q are the prime factors of their RSA modulus N=pq. In this paper, we introduce a novel attack on RSA variant schemes where the public exponent satisfies an equation of the form euz(mod(p21)(q21)), with sufficiently small |z|, |u|, in a scenario where the attacker has access to an approximation of one of the prime factors. Our new attack utilizes Coppersmith’s method, combined with lattice basis reduction techniques, to efficiently recover the prime factors of the RSA modulus in these scenarios. This method offers a significant improvement over prior attacks on RSA variants with small private exponents or partial prime information. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Algorithmic Innovations in Cryptanalysis of Public Key Cryptography)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop