Objective
By 2035, national security agencies worldwide, led by NIST and its European counterparts, plan to phase out today’s public-key cryptosystems, requiring a rapid transition to quantum-resistant alternatives. Code-based cryptography is among the most promising candidates, relying on hard problems from algebraic coding theory. Several such proposals were submitted to the NIST post-quantum standardization call, with HQC and Classic McEliece selected for standardization by the US and Germany, respectively.
The ongoing call for signature schemes includes proposals based on novel hardness assumptions and, while adoption is accelerating, the security of these new assumptions are under-explored, limiting our ability to properly assess and compare their robustness.
With CODES, I plan to break this barrier by advancing the cryptanalysis of these emerging problems. We have identified three problems, which underpin the security of all code-based schemes: (1) code equivalence, (2) rank-metric decoding and (3) q-ary decoding.
The main focus is on (1) code equivalence, a structured problem unlikely to be NP-hard. By analyzing its connections to Graph Isomorphism (GI), I aim to reveal its true complexity and potential weaknesses. Several constructions and combinations of closures, power codes and different adjacency matrices will be explored, to finally reduce any instance of code equivalence to GI.
The goal of work package (2) is to develop novel algorithms for decoding in the rank metric. We investigate the associated Hamming-metric code, methods from lattices, and different guessing techniques to reduce the instances.
The investigation of the q-ary setting in (3) is to leverage the extension field structure, through Frobenius
automorphisms and algebraic modelings, ultimately improving on current generic decoding techniques.
This project is high in risk and gain: the proposed improved cryptanalysis will directly impact which signature schemes will ultimately be standardized.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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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.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2026-STG
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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.
80333 Muenchen
Germany
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.