Quantum cloning attacks against PUF-based quantum authentication systems

Abstract

With the advent of Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs), PUF-based quantum authentication systems (QAS) have been proposed for security purposes and recently proof-of-principle experiment has been demonstrated. As a further step towards completing the security analysis, we investigate quantum cloning attacks against PUF-based quantum authentication systems and prove that quantum cloning attacks outperform the so-called challenge-estimation attacks. We present the analytical expression of the false accept probability by use of the corresponding optimal quantum cloning machines and extend the previous results in the literature. In light of these findings, an explicit comparison is made between PUF-based quantum authentication systems and quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols in the context of cloning attacks. Moreover, from an experimental perspective, a trade-off between the average photon number and the detection efficiency is discussed in detail.

15 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (4)

• Quantum-Secure Authentication with a Classical Key
• Quantum key distribution session with 16-dimensional photonic states
• Quantum Cloning Machines and the Applications
• A formal definition and a new security mechanism of physical unclonable functions

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• Client-Server Identification Protocols with Quantum PUF
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• Theoretical framework for physical unclonable functions, including quantum readout
• Statistical distribution of quantum correlation induced by multiple scattering in the disordered medium
• Efficient Construction of Quantum Physical Unclonable Functions with Unitary t-designs
• Modulating quantum fluctuations of scattered lights in disordered media via wavefront shaping
• Excess-noise suppression for a squeezed state propagating through random amplifying media via wave-front shaping