Alex Pellegrini

I am a Ph.D. student in Mathematics at Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. My advisors are Tanja Lange and Alberto Ravagnani.

I am part of the Coding Theory and Cryptology group, which is part of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

Before joining TU/e, I spent 1 year in the Cryptology and Data Security group at University of Bern, Switzerland, where I was working on quorum systems.

I obtained my M.Sc. in Mathematics (coding theory and cryptography program) at the University of Trento in 2019 (dissertation title: "On two algebraic decision problems and their instances").

My Bachelor's degree is in Computer Science, obtained at the University of Trento in 2015 (dissertation title: "Supporting joins and numerical computations over encrypted databases").

I am currently working on a project in code-based cryptography. I devise algebraic geometric codes and construct efficient tools to make them functional for post-quantum cryptography.

Beside the above project, I am analysing some of the submissions to the Korean PQC competition (I am also having fun doing public key cryptanalysis, so if you'd like to team up for some, just drop me an email).

My research interests include cryptography, coding theory, algebraic geometry and number theory.

My Curriculum Vitae (not updated) can be found here.

List of Publications and Preprints

Chee S., Jeong K.C., Lange T., Lee N., Pellegrini A., Ryu H.: Analysis of Layered ROLLO-I: A BII-LRPC code-based KEM (https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/230).
Pellegrini, A., Tognolini, G.: Breaking HWQCS: a code-based signature scheme from high weight QC-LDPC codes (https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/117).
Cottaar J, Hövelmanns K., Hülsing A., Lange T., Mahzoun M., Pellegrini A., Ravagnani A, Schäge S., Trimoska M., de Weger B.: Report on evaluation of KpqC candidates (https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1853).
Lange T., Pellegrini A., Ravagnani A.: On the security of REDOG. ICISC 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1205).
Meneghetti A., Pellegrini A., Sala M.: On the equivalence of two post-quantum cryptographic families. Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata (1923 -) (2022) (https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.05806).
Pellegrini A., Zanolini L.: An Algebraic Model for Quorum Systems (https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.08536).
Di Nicola A., Vettori B., Angheben M., Pellegrini A., Margeory Sanchez Quispe Y., D’Amore L., Nicolar R., Palomo Martinez J., Camelia Iorgulescu G., Mihai Chiriac V.: Payback. Towards a EU Data Management System for Seized Assets. (.pdf)(website).

Other Publications

Pellegrini A. : Breaking 2/3 of Layered-ROLLO-I-2023-10-20 (.pdf)
Pellegrini A. : An efficient message recovery attack on the new Modified-Layered-ROLLO-I (.pdf)
Lange T., Pellegrini A. : Analysis of Layered-ROLLO-I. Kpqc bulletin board (.pdf)

Talks

1.3.2024. Linear algebra attacks on code based schemes - Breaking Layered-ROLLO-I and HWQCS. Crypto Working Group seminars. Utrecht, The Netherlands. Slides.
6.1.2024. Breaking Layered ROLLO-I. JMM 2024 - AMS Special Session on Cryptography and Related Fields. San Francisco, California. Slides.
30.11.2023. On the security of REDOG. ICISC 2023. Seoul, South Korea. Slides.
11.10.2023. REDOG. Kpqc-Seminar. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Slides.
10.10.2023. Enhanced pqsigRM. Kpqc-Seminar. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Slides.
04.10.2023. Layered-ROLLO-I. Kpqc-Seminar. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Slides.
13.07.2023. On the security of REDOG. Kpqc - Seminar. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. (Slides, Video)
18.04.2023. On Enhanced-pqsigRM. Kpqc TU/e - Seminar. Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Slides
17.02.2023. Code-based cryptography and AG codes. COGNAC -Conference On alGebraic varieties over fiNite fields and Algebraic geometry Codes. Marseille, France. Slides
24.11.2022. Code-based cryptography and AG codes. DIAMANT Symposium Autumn 2022. Leiden, The Netherlands. Slides

Code

Signature forgery attack on HWQCS and related code. Github repo.
Message recovery attack on levels 128 and 192 of Layered-ROLLO-I-2023-10-20. Sage code.
Message recovery attack on Layered-ROLLO-I. Sage code.
Reduction attack on Modified-Layered-ROLLO-I. Sage code.
Message recovery attack on REDOG. Sage code.

Teaching Assistance

Introduction to Cryptology, Fall semester (2020-2021-2022-2023)
Algebra and Discrete Mathematics, Winter semester (2020-2021-2022-2023)
Applied Cryptography, Winter semester (2020-2021-2022-2023)

Get in touch

a.pellegrini@tue.nl

My PGP public key is here. (979985813B2FC1B95219C383B7EE9626A4F9F701)