Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2015/524

Secure Key Exchange Protocol based on Virtual Proof of Reality

Yansong Gao

Abstract: Securely sharing the same secret key among multiple parties is the main concern in symmetric cryptography that is the workhorse of modern cryptography due to its simplicity and fast speed. Typically asymmetric cryptography is used to set up a shared secret between parties, after which the switch to symmetric cryptography can be made. In this paper, we introduce a novel key exchange protocol based on physical hardware implementation to establish a shared secret between parties rather than relying on mathematical implementation of asymmetric cryptography. In particular, the key exchange is dependent on a new security concept named as virtual proof of reality or simply virtual proof (VP) that enables proof of a physical statement over untrusted digital communication channels between two parties (a prover and a verifier) residing in two separate local systems. We firstly exploit the VP to secure key exchange and further prove it by using experimental data. The key transferred in this protocol is only seen by the prover and hidden from not only the adversary but also the verifier. While only the verifier can successfully discover it.

Category / Keywords: secret-key cryptography / Key exchange, Virtual Proof, PUF, sensor PUF

Date: received 31 May 2015

Contact author: yansong gao at adelaide edu au

Available format(s): PDF | BibTeX Citation

Version: 20150602:060600 (All versions of this report)

Short URL: ia.cr/2015/524

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