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arXiv:2604.15836

A Practical Semi-Quantum Signature Protocol with Improved Eavesdropping Detection

Zengyu Pang, Hua Xiang

quant-phSubmitted Apr 17, 2026• Announced Apr 20, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Semi-quantum signature (SQS) schemes aim to enable quantum signature functionality in scenarios where only a subset of participants possess full quantum capabilities, thereby improving practical deployability while preserving quantum security advantages. Within this framework, we present a practical SQS protocol based on Bell states. The protocol is designed so that only the signer requires full quantum capability, significantly alleviating the quantum burden on the remaining participants. To strengthen security in semi-quantum environments, we incorporate an improved eavesdropping-detection mechanism that more effectively detects tampering. Compared with many existing schemes, which do not explicitly consider tampering of already generated signatures in their unforgeability analyses, the proposed protocol is designed to remain secure in the presence of such tampering.

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Semi-quantum signature (SQS) schemes aim to enable quantum signature functionality in scenarios where only a subset of participants possess full quantum capabilities, thereby improving practical deployability while preserving quantum security advantages. Within this framework, we present a practical SQS protocol based on Bell states. The protocol is designed so that only the signer requires full quantum capability, significantly alleviating the quantum burden on the remaining participants. To strengthen security in semi-quantum environments, we incorporate an improved eavesdropping-detection mechanism that more effectively detects tampering. Compared with many existing schemes, which do not explicitly consider tampering of already generated signatures in their unforgeability analyses, the proposed protocol is designed to remain secure in the presence of such tampering.
Abstract This study tackles critical issues in semi‐quantum signature (SQS) protocols to enhance security and efficiency. It revisits Xia et al.’s SQS protocol, which uses EPR steering for security but introduces inconsistencies in a semi‐quantum environment. Xia et al. assume that both the signatory and arbitrator have full quantum capabilities, while the verifier only has partial capabilities, making them a classical participant. However, their protocol requires the verifier to perform eavesdropping checks, necessitating quantum storage, which is not aligned with a semi‐quantum environment. The study proposes a novel SQS protocol using EPR steering and single photons, with pre‐shared keys to determine photon arrangements to address this. This ensures that only the communicating parties know the inspection and message transmission locations, solving the quantum storage issue and enabling efficient eavesdropper detection and identity authentication. This new protocol adheres to semi‐quantum principles and sets a foundation for future advancements in quantum cryptography and secure communication.
Currently, quantum signature protocols assume that all participants in the protocol (signers, verifiers, and arbitrators) should exhibit quantum capabilities. If quantum devices are lacking, the quantum signature protocol cannot be implemented. However, quantum devices are not widely used, and not all users can own quantum devices. Boyer et al. first proposed the concept of the semi-quantum environment. Zhao et al. proposed a semi-quantum signature protocol with double signers based on the W state. Yang et al. discovered that in the semi-quantum signature protocol with double signers developed by Zhao et al., an internal attacker could launch an impersonation attack during the verification and signature stages to capture the private key and use it to impersonate the user’s identity. In addition, the eavesdropper can obtain all the secret information of the signers by performing a man-in-the-middle attack. All three attack modes can pass the eavesdropping check. Hence, if these security problems are not solved, the signature of the semi-quantum signature protocol with double signers proposed by Zhao et al. cannot be completed safely. Therefore, based on Bell states, a new semi-quantum signature protocol of double signers was developed in this study. The proposed protocol not only resists impersonation attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks but also resists other common attack modes.
In order to solve the security of electronic transactions on limited goods, some quantum blind double signature (QBDS) protocols were proposed. In existing QBDS protocols, all participants must have specific quantum computing capabilities. Realistically, high cost of quantum devices may hinder people from using the QBDS protocol. Therefore, we propose a semi-quantum arbitrator blind double signature (SQABDS) scheme. In this scheme, the sender (signer) and the receiver both are classical participants, which can relatively reduce the dependence on quantum hardware. The introduction of blind signers can protect the privacy of electronic transactions, the introduction of semi-trusted arbitrator can relax the strong assumption about the trustworthiness of the arbitrator, for the arbitrator cannot forge the signature. In addition, the SQABDS scheme can be used to sign classical messages directly without performing any quantum swapping tests or quantum gate operations. Finally, the analysis shows that our scheme is securer and its quantum cost is relatively lower.
The security of a secret sharing protocol is compromised if one or more dishonest participants can reconstruct the secret by deviating from the prescribed protocol, particularly when such malicious behavior remains undetected. Semi-Quantum Secret Sharing (SQSS) is a variant of secret sharing in which the participants possess only classical capabilities, such as preparing and measuring qubits in the computational (ZZZ) basis, while a quantum-capable third party assists the dealer in generating and distributing quantum shares of a classical secret. The limited quantum capabilities of the participants in SQSS protocols may introduce vulnerabilities to collusion attacks, enabling an assisting quantum third party, in collaboration with a dishonest classical participant, to jointly recover the secret even without detection. In this work, we propose a novel SQSS protocol that eliminates this vulnerability and achieves information-theoretic security against collusion attacks. We further prove that the proposed protocol is secure against a broad class of external and internal attacks. Finally, a comparative analysis demonstrates that our construction advances existing SQSS protocols by simultaneously optimizing qubit efficiency, involves a classical dealer, and resilience against DCNA attacks using basic Bell states.
In recent years, identity-based quantum signature protocols have received much attention due to their unique advantages. Based on Bell states, we propose an efficient identity-based quantum signature scheme. In our scheme, the signer’s private key is generated from their identity information. The signer uses the private key and secret parameters to generate a signature for the verifier. The verifier, who possesses the identity information of the signer, can authenticate the signature. Our proposed scheme ensures signature non-forgeability and non-repudiation. In addition, the protocol does not require the preparation of long-term quantum memory or the performance of quantum swap tests, making it more efficient than previous schemes.
Abstract Quantum secret sharing (QSS) can address the increasing threat of computing power. While semi-QSS protocols alleviate participants’ reliance on quantum devices, ensuring security and lowering the participation difficulty. In this paper, we propose a semi-QSS protocol based on four quantum entangled states within a four-dimensional quantum system. It generates a four-dimensional four-quantum entangled state through a dealer, requiring full quantum capability for the dealer and only partial quantum capability for the participants. Participants perform random operations on the received qubits, and eavesdropping detection is based on these random operations. Then the dealer can choose the correct measurement basis based on the receiver’s specific operations. The security and quantum efficiency of protocol depend on the ratio of information to decoy particles inserted by the dealer. Furthermore, the security analysis shows that the protocol is resistant to common quantum attacks.