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Analysis of the Security of the DONATION Block Cipher Algorithm Against Structural and Algebraic Attacks

L. Kovalchuk, S. Hilhurt, A. Davydenko, T. Klymenko

Èlektron. model. 2026, 48(5):29-44

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Abstract

This paper continues a series of studies on the security of the resource-efficient block cipher DONATION, designed for encrypting video streams from UAVs. A preliminary analysis of its resistance to structural and algebraic attacks has been conducted. The impact of bit permutation on the byte structure of the state and the possibility of applying integral attacks and “bottleneck” attacks are analyzed. It is shown that permutation following a nonlinear transformation completely destroys the byte structure; therefore, the attacks considered do not directly apply to DONATION. For eight full rounds, the system describing the cipher contains 2,496 quadratic equations, 1,024 variables for the inputs and outputs of the substitution blocks, and 576 variables for the bits of the round keys (excluding linear equations). No obvious algebraic simplification has been found that would allow this system to be solved in practice.

Keywords

lightweight block cipher, structural cryptanalysis, algebraic cryptanalysis, integral attack, quadratic Boolean equations

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Received 3.09.2026