Efficient designated-verifier non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs of knowledge

Abstract

We propose a framework for constructing efficient designated-verifier non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs ($$\mathsf {DVNIZK}$$ ) for a wide class of algebraic languages over abelian groups, under standard assumptions. The proofs obtained via our framework are proofs of knowledge, enjoy statistical, and unbounded soundness (the soundness holds even when the prover receives arbitrary feedbacks on previous proofs). Previously, no efficient$$\mathsf {DVNIZK}$$ system satisfying any of those three properties was known. Our framework allows proving arbitrary relations between cryptographic primitives such as Pedersen commitments, ElGamal encryptions, or Paillier encryptions, in an efficient way. For the latter, we further exhibit the first non-interactive zero-knowledge proof system in the standard model that is more efficient than proofs obtained via the Fiat-Shamir transform, with still-meaningful security guarantees and under standard assumptions. Our framework has numerous applications, in particular for the design of efficient privacy-preserving non-interactive authentication.