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Security analysis of two recently proposed RFID authentication protocols

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Abstract

Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems suffer many security risks because they use an insecure wireless communication channel between tag and reader. In this paper, we analyze two recently proposed RFID authentication protocols. Both protocols are vulnerable to tag information leakage and untraceability attacks. For the attack on the first protocol, the adversary only needs to eavesdrop on the messages between reader and tag, and then perform an XOR operation. To attack the second protocol successfully, the adversary may execute a series of carefully designed challenges to determine the tag’s identification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Computer Networks and Information Security, Xidian University, Xi’an, 710071, China

    Chao Lv, Hui Li & Jianfeng Ma

  2. Department of Computer Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China

    Meng Zhao

Authors
  1. Chao Lv
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  2. Hui Li
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  3. Jianfeng Ma
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  4. Meng Zhao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chao Lv.

Additional information

Chao Lv received his BCs degree from Fuzhou University in 2002, MCs degree from Yanshan University in 2006. He is currently a PhD candidate of Xidian University, China. His research interests include cryptography, security protocols, RFID protocols and formal verification.

Dr. Hui Li received his BCs degree from Fudan University in 1990, PhD degree in Communication and Electronic Engineering from Xidian University in 1998. He has published around 30 academic papers in the areas of information security and coding theory. His research interests include information security, coding theory and wireless network security.

Prof. Jianfeng Ma received his BCs degree in Mathematics from Shaanxi Normal University in 1985, and obtained his MCs and PhD degrees in Computer Software and Communications Engineering from Xidian University, China, in 1988 and 1995 respectively. Since 1995 he has been with Xidian University as a lecturer, associate professor and professor. From 1999 to 2001, he was with Nanyang Technological University of Singapore as a research fellow. Currently, Prof. Ma is the director of the Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Computer Networks and Information Security. His research interests include information security, coding theory and cryptography.

Meng Zhao received his BCs degree from Yanshan University in 2002, MCs degree from Yanshan University in 2006. He is currently an electronic engineer of Yanshan University, China. His research interests include space databases, wireless sensor networks, cryptography, security protocols, RFID protocols and formal verification.

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Lv, C., Li, H., Ma, J. et al. Security analysis of two recently proposed RFID authentication protocols. Front. Comput. Sci. China 5, 335–340 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11704-011-0153-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11704-011-0153-4

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