Attacking a public key cryptosystem based on tree replacement

We point out several security flaws in the cryptosystem based on tree replacement systems proposed by Samuel, Thomas, Abisha and Subramanian at INDOCRYPT 2002. Due to the success of (among others) very simple ciphertext-only attacks, we evidence that this system does not, in its present form, offer acceptable security guarantees for cryptographic applications.

[1]  K. G. Subramanian,et al.  Tree Replacement and Public Key Cryptosystem , 2002, INDOCRYPT.

[2]  María Isabel González Vasco,et al.  Weak Keys in MST1 , 2005, Des. Codes Cryptogr..

[3]  Rani Siromoney,et al.  A Public Key Cryptosystem Based on Lyndon Words , 1990, Inf. Process. Lett..

[4]  Rainer Steinwandt,et al.  A Reaction Attack on a Public Key Cryptosystem Based on the Word Problem , 2003, Applicable Algebra in Engineering, Communication and Computing.

[5]  Rani Siromoney,et al.  A D0L-T0L Public Key Cryptosystem , 1987, Inf. Process. Lett..

[6]  Rainer Steinwandt,et al.  Pitfalls in public key cryptosystems based on free partially commutative monoids and groups , 2006, Appl. Math. Lett..

[7]  K. G. Subramanian,et al.  Public Key Cryptosystems Based on Free Partially Commutative Monoids and Groups , 2003, INDOCRYPT.

[8]  Jean H. Gallier,et al.  Reductions in Tree Replacement Systems , 1985, Theor. Comput. Sci..

[9]  Yechezkel Zalcstein,et al.  The Complexity of Grigorchuk Groups with Application to Cryptography , 1991, Theor. Comput. Sci..

[10]  María Isabel González Vasco,et al.  On the Security of Certain Public Key Cryptosystems Based on Rewriting Problems , 2004 .

[11]  Rainer Steinwandt,et al.  Clouds over a public key cryptosystem based on Lyndon words , 2001, Inf. Process. Lett..

[12]  Douglas R. Stinson,et al.  New Approaches to Designing Public Key Cryptosystems Using One-Way Functions and Trapdoors in Finite Groups , 2001, Journal of Cryptology.

[13]  Neal R. Wagner,et al.  A Public Key Cryptosystem Based on the Word Problem , 1985, CRYPTO.