Work

Cryptanalysis of Two Alternating Moduli Weak PRFs

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In this work, we present new cryptanalytic attacks on recently proposed, theory-inspired constructions of weak pseudorandom functions (weak-PRFs). We demonstrate attacks on several such designs, showing that the initial security arguments require significant refinement. Methodologically, our approach relies on novel observations about the structure of cyclic matrices, applications of Wagner’s generalized birthday technique, and conversion into polynomial systems over F3. These findings highlight the need for a more careful analysis of those weak-PRF candidates.

Source: IACR Transactions on Symmetric Cryptology

DOI: 10.46586/tosc.v2026.i1.95-118

Authors: Kai Hu, Gregor Leander, Håvard Raddum, Arne Sandrib, Aleksei Udovenko