Abstract
Recently, Sun et al. (Quantum Inf Process 15(5):2101–2111, 2016) proposed an efficient multiparty quantum key agreement protocol based on commutative encryption. The aim of this protocol is to negotiate a secret shared key among multiple parties with high qubit efficiency as well as security against inside and outside attackers. The shared key is the exclusive-OR of all participants’ secret keys. This is achieved by applying the rotation operation on encrypted photons. For retrieving the final secret key, only measurement on single states is needed. Sun et al. claimed that assuming no mutual trust between participants, the scheme is secure against participant’s attack. In this paper, we show that this is not true. In particular, we demonstrate how a malicious participant in Sun et al.’s protocol can introduce “a” final fake key to target parties of his choice. We further propose an improvement to guard against this attack.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ateniese, G., Giuseppe, M., Tsudik, G.: New multiparty authentication services and key agreement protocols. IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun. 18(4), 628–639 (2000)
Diffie, W., Hellman, M.: New directions in cryptography. IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 22, 644–654 (1976)
Shor, P.W.: Polynomial-time algorithms for prime factorization and discrete logarithms on a quantum computer. SIAM J. Comput. 26, 1484–1509 (1997)
Zhou, N., Zeng, G., Xiong, J.: Quantum key agreement protocol. Electron. Lett. 40(18), 1149 (2004)
Tsai, C., Hwang, T.: On Quantum Key Agreement Protocol. R.O.C, Technical Report, C-S-I-E, NCKU, Taiwan (2009)
Huang, W., Wen, Q.Y., Liu, B., Gao, F., Sun, Y.: Quantum key agreement with EPR pairs and single particle measurements. Quantum Inf. Process. 13(3), 649–663 (2014)
Shen, D.S., Ma, W.P., Wang, L.L.: Two-party quantum key agreement with four-qubit cluster states. Quantum Inf. Process. 13, 2313 (2014)
Chong, S.K., Hwang, T.: Quantum key agreement protocol based on BB84. Opt. Commun. 283, 1192–1195 (2010)
Chong, S.K., Tsai, C.W., Hwang, T.: Improvement on “quantum key agreement protocol with maximally entangled states”. Int. J. Theor. Phys. 50(6), 1793–1802 (2011)
Sun, Z., Huang, H.J., Wang, P.: Efficient multiparty quantum key agreement protocol based on commutative encryption. Quantum Inf. Process. 15(5), 2101–2111 (2016)
Sun, Z., Yu, J., Wang, P.: Efficient multiparty quantum key agreement by cluster states. Quantum Inf. Process. 15(1), 373–384 (2016)
Liu, B., Gao, F., Huang, W., Wen, Q.Y.: Multiparty quantum key agreement with single particles. Quantum Inf. Process. 12(4), 1797–1805 (2013)
Sun, Z., Wang, B., Li, Q., Long, D.: Improvements on multiparty quantum key agreement with single particles. Quantum Inf. Process. 12, 3411 (2013)
Kanamori, Y., Yoo, S.M., Gregory, D.A., Sheldon, F.T.: Authentication protocol using quantum superposition states. Int. J. Netw. Secur. 9(2), 101–108 (2009)
Cabello, A.: Quantum key distribution in the Holevo limit. Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 5633–5638 (2000)
Xu, G.-B., Wen, Q.-Y., Gao, F., Qin, S.-J.: Novel multiparty quantum key agreement protocol with GHZ states. Quantum Inf. Process. 13(12), 2587–2594 (2014)
Karimipour, V., Asoudeh, M.: Quantum secret sharing and random hopping: using single states instead of entanglement. Phys. Rev. A 92(3), 030301 (2015)
Bacon, D.: Decoherence, control, and symmetry in quantum computers (2003). arXiv:quant-ph/0305025
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully appreciate the anonymous referees for their valuable comments and suggestions that help to improve the paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mohajer, R., Eslami, Z. Cryptanalysis of a multiparty quantum key agreement protocol based on commutative encryption. Quantum Inf Process 16, 197 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11128-017-1647-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11128-017-1647-2