Analyzing UTXO-Based Blockchain Privacy Threats

Simin Ghesmati; Walid Fdhila; Edgar Weippl

Paper 2023/1862

Analyzing UTXO-Based Blockchain Privacy Threats

Simin Ghesmati, TU Wien

Walid Fdhila, SBA Research

Edgar Weippl, University of Vienna

Abstract

While blockchain technologies leverage compelling characteristics in terms of decentralization, immutability, and transparency, user privacy in public blockchains remains a fundamental challenge that requires particular attention. This is mainly due to the history of all transactions being accessible and available to anyone, thus making it possible for an attacker to infer data about users that is supposed to remain private. In this paper, we provide a threat model of possible privacy attacks on users utilizing the Bitcoin blockchain. To this end, we followed the LINDDUN GO methodology to identify threats and suggest possible mitigation.

Metadata

Available format(s): PDF
Category: Attacks and cryptanalysis
Publication info: Preprint.
Keywords: Privacy Blockchain threats Bitcoin mitigation
Contact author(s): ghesmati @ icloud com
wfdhila @ sba-research org
eweippl @ sba-research org
History: 2023-12-16: revised; 2023-12-04: received; See all versions
Short URL: https://ia.cr/2023/1862
License: CC BY

BibTeX

@misc{cryptoeprint:2023/1862,
      author = {Simin Ghesmati and Walid Fdhila and Edgar Weippl},
      title = {Analyzing UTXO-Based Blockchain Privacy Threats},
      howpublished = {Cryptology ePrint Archive, Paper 2023/1862},
      year = {2023},
      note = {\url{https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1862}},
      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2023/1862}
}