Objective
Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) have evolved from theoretical concepts to critical infrastructure, securing substantial assets and enabling privacy-preserving identity systems, compliant private payments, misinformation-resistant provenance, and verifiable AI workflows. European initiatives, including the EU Digital Identity Wallet and AI compliance frameworks, require verifiable computation without exposing sensitive data. Central to this transition are zero-knowledge virtual machines (zkVMs), which enable developers to write programs in mainstream languages like Rust or C and obtain succinct proofs of correct execution, eliminating error-prone hand-crafted circuits.
Despite significant performance advances, assurance remains the primary adoption barrier. Two critical gaps persist: (1) zkVM security lacks practical, architecture-agnostic tools for detecting soundness and completeness vulnerabilities across diverse implementations; (2) application-level privacy lacks systematic methods to identify and quantify information leakage in deployed ZK programs.
SPHINX directly addresses these assurance challenges through two complementary approaches. First, it provides a zkVM-agnostic hardening framework using fuzzing, differential testing, and symbolic execution to uncover vulnerabilities across multiple zkVM implementations. Second, it delivers privacy-leakage analyzers that combine static information-flow analysis with SMT-validated counterexamples to detect and quantify data exposure in ZK applications. Additionally, SPHINX conducts empirical studies to understand how ZK privacy guarantees are interpreted and applied in real-world deployments.
The project delivers open-source security tools, curated vulnerability benchmarks, coordinated disclosure protocols, and CI-ready hardening guidelines. By providing systematic vulnerability detection and measurable privacy guarantees, SPHINX advances trustworthy zero-knowledge infrastructure deployment at European scale, facilitatin
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
105 61 ATHINA
Greece
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.