Updated: Oct 11, 2024 06:05 PM EST

Prabhat Ranjan Mishra

Amilitary-grade encryption algorithm has reportedly been hacked by Chinese researchers using a D-Wave quantum computer. This is being claimed as the first successful quantum attack on widely used encryption algorithms. This type of hacking poses a significant threat to military and finance like sectors.

Initially designed for non-cryptographic usage, the D-Wave Advantage system used in the process breached the Substitution-Permutation Network-structured (SPN) algorithms.

Although specific passcodes have not been cracked yet, this is still a major early-stage threat.

Quantum tunneling effect

Researchers claimed that the advancement of various quantum computers in their efforts to attack RSA has been notably sluggish.

In contrast to the constraints imposed by key technologies such as error correction codes on universal quantum computers, the developments of critical theoretical and hardware developments of D-Wave special quantum computers show a stable growth trajectory, according to researchers.

D-Wave special quantum computing has a unique quantum tunneling effect that can jump out of the local extremes that traditional intelligent algorithms are prone to fall into. It can be considered a class of artificial intelligence algorithms with global optimization-seeking capability, according to researchers.

Researchers introduced two technical approaches grounded in the quantum annealing algorithm, using pure quantum algorithm and quantum annealing combined with classical algorithm to implement RSA public key eryptography attack (factorizing the large integer NFpq).

One approach is to convert the mathematical method of eryptographic attack into a combi-natorial optimization problem or exponential space search problem, which is solved by Ising model or QUB0 model.

“We propose a high level optimization model for multiplication tables and establish a new dimensionality reduction formula from the two aspects of saving qubit resources and improving the stability of Ising model, and decompose the two million level of integers 2 269 753 using D- Wave Advantage,” said researchers in the study.

Quantum annealing algorithm works like guiding a ball

Published in the Chinese Journal of Computers, the research’s second approach is based on the quantum annealing algorithm fused with mathematical methods of crypto-graphic attacks to optimize the attacks on cryptographic components. The classical lattice reduction algorithm is synergistically integrated with the Schnorr algorithm.

The quantum annealing algorithm is incorporated, and the Babai algorithm’s rounding direction is adjusted leveraging the quantum tunneling effect for precise vector determination, according to researchers.

“Leveraging the exponential acceleration capabilities of quantum computing, we address the challenge by computing two rounded directions for solutions on each bit of an N-dimensional lattice. This enables the realization of an exponential solution space search, a capability beyond the reach of traditional computing methods,” said researchers.

The quantum annealing algorithm works like guiding a ball to find the lowest point in a terrain with hills and valleys. Traditional algorithms explore every possible path across this terrain, requiring the ball to repeatedly climb up and down, similar to the temperature changes during annealing, reported SCMP.

However, in the quantum world, thanks to the quantum tunnelling effect, the ball can directly tunnel to the lowest point. Thus, the quantum annealing algorithm can quickly approach the best overall solution, according to the Chinese publication.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Prabhat Ranjan Mishra Prabhat, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, is a tech and defense journalist. While he enjoys writing on modern weapons and emerging tech, he has also reported on global politics and business. He has been previously associated with well-known media houses, including the International Business Times (Singapore Edition) and ANI.