Analysis of the Telegram Key Exchange

Martin R. Albrecht, Lenka Mareková, Kenneth G. Paterson, Eyal Ronen, Igors Stepanovs

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

We describe, formally model, and prove the security of Telegram’s key exchange protocols for client-server communications. To achieve this, we develop a suitable multi-stage key exchange security model along with pseudocode descriptions of the Telegram protocols that are based on analysis of Telegram’s specifications and client source code. We carefully document how our descriptions differ from reality and justify our modelling choices. Our security proofs reduce the security of the protocols to that of their cryptographic building blocks, but the subsequent analysis of those building blocks requires the introduction of a number of novel security assumptions, reflecting many design decisions made by Telegram that are suboptimal from the perspective of formal analysis. Along the way, we provide a proof of IND-CCA security for the variant of RSA-OEAP+ used in Telegram and identify a hypothetical attack exploiting current Telegram server behaviour (which is not captured in our protocol descriptions). Finally, we reflect on the broader lessons about protocol design that can be taken from our work.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Cryptology – EUROCRYPT 2025 - 44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, 2025, Proceedings
EditorsSerge Fehr, Pierre-Alain Fouque
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages212-241
Number of pages30
ISBN (Print)9783031911002
DOIs
StatePublished - 2025
Event44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, EUROCRYPT 2025 - Madrid, Spain
Duration: 4 May 20258 May 2025

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science
Volume15608 LNCS

Conference

Conference44th Annual International Conference on the Theory and Applications of Cryptographic Techniques, EUROCRYPT 2025
Country/TerritorySpain
CityMadrid
Period4/05/258/05/25

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • General Computer Science

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