Related-key almost universal hash functions: Definitions, constructions and applications

Abstract

Universal hash functions (UHFs) have been extensively used in the design of cryptographic schemes. If we consider the related-key attack (RKA) against these UHF-based schemes, some of them may not be secure, especially those using the key of UHF as a part of the whole key of scheme, due to the weakness of UHF in the RKA setting. In order to solve this issue, we propose a new concept of related-key almost universal hash function, which is a natural extension to almost universal hash function in the RKA setting. We define related-key almost universal (RKA-AU) hash function and related-key almost XOR universal (RKA-AXU) hash function. However almost all the existing UHFs do not satisfy the new definitions. We construct one fixed-input-length universal hash function named RH1 and two variable-input-length universal hash functions named RH2 and RH3. We show that RH1 and RH2 are both RKA-AXU, and RH3 is RKA-AU for the RKD set Φ⊕. Furthermore, RH1, RH2 and RH3 are nearly as efficient as previously similar constructions. RKA-AU (RKA-AXU) hash functions can be used as components in the related-key secure cryptographic schemes. If we replace the universal hash functions in the schemes with our corresponding constructions, the problems about related-key attack can be solved for some RKD sets. More specifically, we give four concrete applications of RKAAU and RKA-AXU in related-key secure message authentication codes and tweakable block ciphers.