Cross-primitive comparison in CP-ABE

Abstract Ciphertext-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (CP-ABE) is a cornerstone technique for fine-grained access control in encrypted data sharing, with pairing-based schemes having established the de facto standard. However, their vulnerability to quantum attacks generated growing interest in alternatives rooted in quantum-secure primitives, with Learning With Errors (LWE) emerging as a prominent candidate. In this work, we present the first direct performance benchmark of lattice-versus pairings-based CP-ABE implementations. We compare two mature, widely adopted implementations – PALISADE-ABE’s LWE-based Zhang-Zhang scheme and OpenABE’s pairing-based Waters scheme – selected for their comparable development environments and assumptions. Our results highlight the practical trade-offs – both costs and benefits – of each paradigm, quantifying where lattice-based designs offer advantages and where they incur extra overhead. This comparison addresses a critical gap in the literature and provides direction for the design of future post-quantum secure systems.