Differential analysis has been instrumental in breaking many published ciphers. The boomerang attack, a differential-type attack, leverages high probability differential trails in each half of a cipher. This research aims to explore the boomerang attack in detail, its mechanisms, and its effectiveness in cryptanalysis. When successful, the boomerang attack outputs a quartet of plaintexts and corresponding ciphertexts with specific fixed differences between some of the pairs. This unique property not only distinguishes the cipher from a random permutation but also, in some cases, aids in key recovery. This work will investigate the theoretical foundations of the boomerang attack, its practical implementation, and its implications in modern cryptography.

Differential analysis has been instrumental in breaking many published ciphers. The boomerang attack, a differential-type attack, leverages high probability differential trails in each half of a cipher. This research aims to explore the boomerang attack in detail, its mechanisms, and its effectiveness in cryptanalysis. When successful, the boomerang attack outputs a quartet of plaintexts and corresponding ciphertexts with specific fixed differences between some of the pairs. This unique property not only distinguishes the cipher from a random permutation but also, in some cases, aids in key recovery. This work will investigate the theoretical foundations of the boomerang attack, its practical implementation, and its implications in modern cryptography.