Chinese scientists have successfully mounted what they are calling the first successful quantum attack on widely used encryption algorithms using a quantum computer, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
This early-stage breakthrough poses a “real and substantial threat” to the long-standing password-protection mechanism used in the banking and military sectors.
The paper, “Quantum Annealing Public Key Cryptographic Attack Algorithm Based on D-Wave Advantage,” was published in the Chinese Journal of Computers on September 30th.
It showcases how D-Wave machines were used to break RSA encryption and attack symmetric encryption systems.
The team, led by Wang Chao of Shanghai University, used the D-Wave Advantage, initially designed for non-cryptographic applications, to breach the Substitution-Permutation Network-structured (SPN) algorithms, such as Present, Gift-64, and Rectangle.
SPN algorithms are foundational for advanced encryption standards (AES), which are widely deployed in military and financial encryption protocols. AES-256 is often labeled as the gold standard for military-grade encryption and is regarded as the most secure encryption standard available.
“This is the first time that a real quantum computer has posed a real and substantial threat to multiple full-scale SPN structured algorithms in use today,” Wang’s team wrote in the peer-reviewed paper.
While specific passcodes haven’t been cracked yet, the researchers noted that quantum computers are a major early-stage threat that could soon challenge modern encryption systems.
According to SCMP, D-Wave’s machines employ a method known as quantum annealing. This method mimics a process found in metallurgy, where materials are heated and cooled to increase strength.
This method allows the computer to sift through complex mathematical problems rapidly and find the lowest energy state faster than traditional computers.
However, quantum annealing enables a process known as “quantum tunneling,” which allows the computer to skip certain challenges instead of going over barriers like regular algorithms.
Wang’s team went a step further by combining quantum annealing with traditional mathematical algorithms, creating a new computational approach capable of breaching SPN algorithms such as Present, Gift-64, and Rectangle.
Wang’s team described it in his paper as similar to “an artificial intelligence algorithm with the ability to globally optimise solutions.”
Despite this breakthrough, the researchers admit that quantum computing still faces significant limitations of quantum computing, which include hardware immaturity, environmental interference, and the incapability to create a universal quantum attack for multiple encryption systems that are currently hindering the technology’s full potential.
Although Wang declined to comment further on the research given its sensitivity, we can anticipate further breakthroughs and also significant threats to current encryption standards given the evolution of the quantum industry.
“Through this exploration, it is expected to establish a computing architecture that combines artificial intelligence algorithms with quantum effects and mathematical methods in the future,” Wang’s team said in the paper.
