Singularization: A New Approach to Design Block Ciphers for Resource Constrained Devices

Gilles Macario-Rat, Mihail Plesa

Abstract

Running traditional symmetric encryption algorithms, such as AES, on resource-constrained devices presents significant challenges due to the limited computational resources available. A common bottleneck in these algorithms is the number of rounds, which is typically determined through cryptanalysis efforts. In this paper, we introduce a novel framework for designing block ciphers, termed Singularization. This framework is based on a generic Feistel network with dynamically generated pseudorandom functions (PRFs). We demonstrate that Singularization may enable the design of symmetric ciphers with fewer rounds without compromising security. This is evidenced by a case study on a 6-round DES, which is vulnerable to differential cryptanalysis attacks. By redesigning DES using our framework, we mitigate this vulnerability, suggesting that it is possible to achieve almost the same level of security as a full-round DES with a reduced number of rounds.