SEALSQ Presents Peer-Reviewed Research on Attack and Countermeasures on ML-KEM Key Generation at LightSec 2026, Affiliated Event of CHES 2026

Geneva Switzerland, Oct. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Research advances cryptographic hardware security and reinforces the expertise behind SEALSQ’s Quantum Shield QS7001

SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES) ("SEALSQ" or "Company"), a company that focuses on developing and selling Semiconductors, PKI, and Post-Quantum technology hardware and software products, today announced that its research team presented a peer-reviewed technical article on a novel side-channel attack targeting the encoding step of ML-KEM (Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanism, formerly CRYSTALS-Kyber) key generation at LightSec 2026.

LightSec 2026, the 7th International Workshop on Lightweight Cryptography for Security & Privacy, took place on October 11, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey, as an official affiliated event of CHES 2026 (Conference on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems), the premier venue for research on the design and analysis of cryptographic hardware and embedded systems. The broader CHES program runs from October 11–15, 2026.

The paper, titled “Cross-information lattice attack on ML-KEM,” demonstrates how the encoding step during ML-KEM key generation is vulnerable to side-channel attacks under realistic conditions. The work introduces a novel attack method that combines profiling-based techniques with lattice reduction. This hybrid approach enables efficient exploitation of side-channel leakage, recovering sensitive information more effectively than prior methods alone. The researchers also present practical countermeasures designed to improve the robustness of ML-KEM implementations against such attacks.

This contribution highlights SEALSQ’s position at the vanguard of cryptographic hardware technology. By rigorously analyzing and hardening implementations of NIST-standardized algorithms such as ML-KEM (FIPS 203), the company helps advance the state of the art in secure architectures that must withstand both mathematical cryptanalysis and physical implementation attacks. Side-channel vulnerabilities, arising from power consumption, electromagnetic emissions, or timing, remain a critical practical concern even for mathematically secure lattice-based schemes, particularly in resource-constrained or long-lived devices.

The research directly complements SEALSQ’s product portfolio. The company’s Quantum Shield QS7001 is the industry’s first commercially available secure element embedding NIST-standardized post-quantum algorithms, ML-KEM for key establishment and ML-DSA (formerly CRYSTALS-Dilithium) for signatures, directly in hardware on a secured RISC-V architecture. Hardware-level acceleration and dedicated countermeasures against SPA/DPA and related attacks, combined with features such as active shielding and scrambling, address the very class of implementation risks examined in the LightSec paper. The QS7001 is currently undergoing Common Criteria EAL5+ Certification process.

This scientific work reinforces SEALSQ’s ongoing efforts to deliver production-ready post-quantum hardware. As the company advances commercialization of the QS7001 and QVault Trusted Platform Module lines, deep expertise in implementation security helps strengthen the credibility of its solutions for governments, critical infrastructure, and long-lifecycle devices preparing for the post-quantum transition.

“Presenting peer-reviewed work on ML-KEM implementation security at a CHES-affiliated workshop underscores our dual role as both product innovators and contributors to the global cryptographic research community,” said Carlos Moreira, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SEALSQ. “Our expertise in side-channel analysis and countermeasures, combined with the QS7001’s hardware-embedded post-quantum cryptography, strengthens our ability to deliver trusted security solutions. These capabilities position SEALSQ to address customers’ evolving security requirements and pursue growth opportunities as the market transitions to post-quantum technologies.”

SEALSQ’s research and engineering teams continue to strengthen the company’s intellectual property portfolio (including prior work on side-channel protection for polynomial-based algorithms at the encoding stage) and to support sovereign, crypto-agile architectures capable of adapting as standards and threats evolve.

About SEALSQ: SEALSQ is a leading innovator in Post-Quantum Technology hardware and software solutions. Our technology seamlessly integrates Semiconductors, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), and Provisioning Services, with a strategic emphasis on developing state-of-the-art Quantum Resistant Cryptography and Semiconductors designed to address the urgent security challenges posed by quantum computing. As quantum computers advance, traditional cryptographic methods like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) are increasingly vulnerable.

SEALSQ is pioneering the development of Post-Quantum Semiconductors that provide robust, future-proof protection for sensitive data across a wide range of applications, including Multi-Factor Authentication tokens, Smart Energy, Medical and Healthcare Systems, Defense, IT Network Infrastructure, Automotive, and Industrial Automation and Control Systems. By embedding Post-Quantum Cryptography into our semiconductor solutions, SEALSQ ensures that organizations stay protected against quantum threats. Our products are engineered to safeguard critical systems, enhancing resilience and security across diverse industries.

For more information on our Post-Quantum Semiconductors and security solutions, please visit www.sealsq.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning SEALSQ Corp and its businesses. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include SEALSQ's ability to continue beneficial transactions with material parties, including a limited number of significant customers; market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; and the risks discussed in SEALSQ's filings with the SEC. Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by SEALSQ with the SEC.

SEALSQ Corp is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: SEALSQ