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International Conference on Contemporary Computing and Informatics (IC3I)

Quantum Man-in-the-Middle Attacks on QKD Protocols: Proposal of a Novel Attack Strategy

Hicham Amellal, Salma El Hajjami, Keshav Kaushik, Gunjan Chhabra, Suman Avdhesh Yadav

Published Sep 14, 2023• 18 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols theo- retically propose a high-security level based on the advantages of quantum computing. This paper analyze the security level of one of the most well-known QKD protocols, BB84, against the man-in-the-middle attack strategy. Specifically, we leverage quantum entanglement to enhance communication security by the injection of a malicious photon in the middle of transmission. In the security analysis, we measure the variation in mutual information between the sender-receiver and sender-attacker to assess the protocol's resilience against potential attacks.

DOI
10.1109/ic3i59117.2023.10397711

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Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols theo- retically propose a high-security level based on the advantages of quantum computing. This paper analyze the security level of one of the most well-known QKD protocols, BB84, against the man-in-the-middle attack strategy. Specifically, we leverage quantum entanglement to enhance communication security by the injection of a malicious photon in the middle of transmission. In the security analysis, we measure the variation in mutual information between the sender-receiver and sender-attacker to assess the protocol's resilience against potential attacks.
The development of the Willow quantum chip by Google has sparked significant interest in quantum computing, driving innovation in the field. As quantum computing technology continues to mature, secure quantum communication has garnered increasing attention. To establish secure communication, several quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols have been proposed, such as the BB84 protocol, which leverages the principles of quantum superposition and other quantum properties to ensure secure transmission. However, existing QKD protocols may face vulnerabilities under certain conditions. This study proposes two types of man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack techniques and demonstrates their potential to compromise quantum cryptography through practical case studies. Furthermore, this study proposes strategies to counteract these MITM attacks and proposes methods to enhance the security of quantum cryptographic systems. The findings offer valuable insights for the future implementation and deployment of secure quantum communication systems.
The main purpose of quantum key distribution protocols is to provide a practical and secure transmission of the single-use key used in encryption at the sender and receiver side. In the classical method, both parties cannot be sure that the key has not been taken over by an attacker. Since the quantum key exchange method basically relies on quantum physics, it provides higher security than conventional key distribution methods. In this study, the first and most used BB84 protocol, which is one of the quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols, and the distribution of the key between the receiver and the sender in the simulation environment and the attempt of the attacker to achieve the key was performed in the simulation environment. The results obtained in the last section are analyzed and suggestions are made for future studies.
One promising way to use quantum information to secure everyday communication is through the distribution of quantum keys. By exchanging a secret key, the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) approach allows two parties to communicate securely.BB84 protocol is among the most well-known QKD protocols. In this protocol, qubits are exchanged via a quantum channel between the sender and the receiver. This enables them to produce a shared key that is impenetrable to eavesdroppers and illustrate the fundamental ideas of QKD using current simulations and implementations. The results of this study demonstrate that the BB84 protocol is a highly secure QKD technique that has been investigated in great detail and used in a variety of contexts. Additionally, over the enhancements made to the BB84 protocol such as the use of advanced error correction techniques and decoy states to increase its security and usability is discussed. With an emphasis on the BB84 protocol in secure communication technologies, this study offers an extensive analysis of QKD systems overall.
Quantum cryptography and especially quantum key distribution (QKD) is a technique that allocates secure keys only for a short distance. QKD protocols establish secure key by consent of both the sender and receiver. However, communication has to take place via an authenticate channel. Without this channel, QKD is vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attack. While not completely secure, it offers huge advantages over traditional methods by the use of entanglement swapping and quantum teleportation. In our research, we adopt the principle of charge-coupled device (CCD) to transfer the qubit from the sender to the receiver via a quantum channel. This technology has an added advantage over polarizer as only the circuit for transmitting the qubit is sufficient. No extra circuitry to implement the polarizer is required.
All traditional cryptographic algorithms used in the network communication environments, relied on mathematical models and computational assumptions, are actually unsafe and apt by many attackers (quantum and man-in-the-middle attacks). Therefore, nowadays Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) promises a secure key agreement by using quantum mechanical systems. QKD becomes a significant trend of new cryptographic revolution. This paper explains how cryptography exploits the quantum mechanics in order to achieve an encryption/decryption process. Additionally, this paper provides a standard simulation for QKD-BB84 protocol and describes improvement key generation and key distribution mechanisms. Then, validation, results and efficiency of BB84 protocol are presented using different security configurations. Finally, our results indicated that the QKD is susceptible to corporate with different security applications and achieve the key availability for such applications. However, it suffers from the higher rate of authentication cost.