27 May 2026
From 25 to 28 May 2026, the International Conference on Practice and Theory of Public Key Cryptography (PKC 2026) took place in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Professor Ding Jintai, Dean of the School of Mathematics and Physics at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and Director of XJTLU Post-Quantum Migration Interdisciplinary Laboratory (PQC-X), was invited to attend and delivered a talk titled "Security Analysis on UOV Families with Odd Characteristics: Using Symmetric Algebra".
As the development of quantum computers advances, there is a growing global effort to build a new line of defence known as post-quantum cryptography (PQC). In his talk, Professor Ding introduced a new cryptanalytic method called the symmetric algebra attack. The research focuses on multivariate public-key cryptosystems currently under evaluation in the third round of the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardisation Project led by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The work aims to examine potential vulnerabilities in these candidate algorithms. The research was conducted by Professor Ding in collaboration with experts from CCB Fintech Co., Ltd.
Professor Ding noted in his presentation that this study provides a new analytical tool for evaluating the security of such schemes. The analysis shows that, for currently recommended schemes that adopt larger mathematical characteristics, such as QR-UOV, their security remains robust. The findings also offer useful insights for future parameter design.
Organised annually by the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR), PKC is one of the world’s leading conferences in public-key cryptography, with a focus on both theoretical research and engineering practice. This year’s conference brought together experts and scholars from around the world. Accepted papers are published by Springer in the LNCS series.
By Qinru Liu
27 May 2026