Paper 2026/384

The Structured Generic-Group Model

Henry Corrigan-Gibbs, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley
Alexandra Henzinger, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David J. Wu, The University of Texas at Austin
Abstract

This paper introduces the structured generic-group model, an extension of Shoup’s generic-group model (from Eurocrypt 1997) to capture algorithms that take advantage of some non-generic structure of the group. We show that any discrete-log algorithm in a group of prime order $q$ that exploits the structure of at most a $\delta$ fraction of group elements, in a way that we precisely define, must run in time $\Omega(\min(\sqrt{q},1/\delta))$. As an application, we prove a tight subexponential-time lower bound against discrete-log algorithms that exploit the multiplicative structure of smooth integers, but that are otherwise generic. This lower bound applies to a broad class of index-calculus algorithms. We prove similar lower bounds against algorithms that exploit the structure of small integers, smooth polynomials, and elliptic-curve points.

Metadata
Available format(s)
PDF
Category
Foundations
Publication info
A major revision of an IACR publication in EUROCRYPT 2026
Contact author(s)
henrycg @ cs berkeley edu
ahenz @ csail mit edu
dwu4 @ cs utexas edu
History
2026-02-26: approved
2026-02-24: received
See all versions
Short URL
https://ia.cr/2026/384
License
Creative Commons Attribution
CC BY

BibTeX

@misc{cryptoeprint:2026/384,
      author = {Henry Corrigan-Gibbs and Alexandra Henzinger and David J. Wu},
      title = {The Structured Generic-Group Model},
      howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2026/384},
      year = {2026},
      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/384}
}
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