Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2008/326

Two attacks on a sensor network key distribution scheme of Cheng and Agrawal

M. B. Paterson and D. R. Stinson

Abstract: A sensor network key distribution scheme for hierarchical sensor networks was recently proposed by Cheng and Agrawal. A feature of their scheme is that pairwise keys exist between any pair of high-level nodes (which are called cluster heads) and between any (low-level) sensor node and the nearest cluster head. We present two attacks on their scheme. The first attack can be applied for certain parameter sets. If it is applicable, then this attack can result in the compromise of most if not all of the sensor node keys after a small number of cluster heads are compromised. The second attack can always be applied, though it is weaker.

Category / Keywords: cryptographic protocols / key management

Publication Info: submitted for publication

Date: received 28 Jul 2008

Contact author: dstinson at uwaterloo ca

Available formats: PDF | BibTeX Citation

Version: 20080803:025450 (All versions of this report)

Discussion forum: Show discussion | Start new discussion