According to a recent paper, Chinese researchers claimed to have discovered a novel method to break the Rivest–Shamir–Adleman 2048 bit (RSA-2048) signing algorithm present in blockchains and other security protocols. RSA is a cryptographic technique which uses a public and private key to encrypt information.
To breach the RSA-2048 algorithm, it is necessary, as with other algorithms within the RSA numbers family to find the prime factors of a number having 617 decimal digits, and 2048 binary digits. Experts estimate An ordinary computer would need 300 trillion years to crack the RSA-2048 encryption key. Chinese researchers claimed in their paper, however, that the encryption could be reversed using a quantum computer with 372 qubits. This is a basic unit for information, which acts as a proxy to computation power.
The latest IBM Osprey quantum computers has a processing power of 433 qubits. Experts had previously calculated that factoring RSA-2048 using quantum computers using Shor’s algorithm (a method for quantum factoring) would result in a factoring of RSA-2048. require 13,436 qubits.
Unlike classical computers that operate on a binary basis of 0 or 1, quantum computers utilize quantum bits that can take on infinite states at temperatures of -273°C (-459.4°F), achieved by using liquid gas coolants. The quantum computer can map all possible solutions to cryptographic problems and attempt them all simultaneously, increasing efficiency at an astronomic level.
Bruce Schneier, an American cryptographer, stated that Chinese researchers may have used the same method as American cryptographers. combined “Classical Lattice Reduction Factoring Techniques with a Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm” was able to factor 48-bit numbers using a 10-qubit quantum computer. Schneier said that although there are potential problems when scaling this up by 50, there is no obvious barrier.
Roger Grimes is a security expert added:
“Apparently what happened is another guy who had previously announced he was able to break traditional asymmetric encryption using classical computers…but reviewers found a flaw in his algorithm and that guy had to retract his paper. The Chinese team discovered that small quantum computers could solve the problem that had killed the entire thing. They tested it and it worked.
Schneier cautioned that the algorithm depends on a recent factoring paper Peter Schnorr authored the paper. The algorithm works well for small bits, but breaks down at larger sizes without any tangible explanation. Schneier stated that if Schnorr’s scale technique is true, then the scale techniques in Chinese paper will not scale.
“In general, it is a smart bet that the new techniques will not work.” But that bet could be wrong someday.
Quantum computers are also limited by operational factors such as heat loss and the requirement of a complex -273°C (-459.4°F) cooling infrastructure. The number of qubits needed to invert cryptographic algorithms is likely to be much higher than the theoretical estimates.
Researchers have yet to replicate the method, but it could theoretically be used for other RSA-2048 protocols in informational technology such as HTTPS and web browsing. Vitalik Buterin (ETH) founder stated previously that his long-term goals included making the blockchain resistant to quantum. This could be achieved by forking the blockchain to use a higher order encryption algorithm that would require more qubits.
Jeffrey Albus, Cointelegraph editor contributed to this report.