An eavesdropping attack on a trusted continuous-variable quantum random number generator

Abstract

Harnessing quantum processes is an efficient method to generate truly indeterministic random numbers, which are of fundamental importance for cryptographic protocols, security applications or Monte-Carlo simulations. Recently, quantum random number generators based on continuous variables have gathered a lot of attention due to the potentially high bit rates they can deliver. Especially quadrature measurements on shot-noise limited states have been studied in detail as they do not offer any side information to potential adversaries under ideal experimental conditions. However, they may be subject to additional classical noise beyond the quantum limit, which may become a source of side information for eavesdroppers. While such eavesdropping attacks have been investigated in theory in some detail, experimental studies are still rare. We experimentally realize a continuous variable eavesdropping attack, based on heterodyne detection, on a trusted quantum random number generator and discuss the limitations for secure random number generation that arise.

12 pages, 7 figures

References in corpus (25)

• Random Numbers Certified by Bell's Theorem
• The operational meaning of min- and max-entropy
• Quantum random number generation
• A Fast and Compact Quantum Random Number Generator
• Leftover Hashing Against Quantum Side Information
• Device independent quantum random number generation
• Postprocessing for quantum random number generators: entropy evaluation and randomness extraction
• Quantum Hacking on Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution System using a Wavelength Attack
• A self-testing quantum random number generator
• Experimentally Generated Randomness Certified by the Impossibility of Superluminal Signals
• Quantum random number generator based on photonic emission in semiconductors
• Source-device-independent Ultra-fast Quantum Random Number Generation
• Secure heterodyne-based quantum random number generator at 17 Gbps
• Source-independent quantum random number generation
• MHz-rate semi-device-independent quantum random number generators based on unambiguous state discrimination
• Optical Quantum Random Number Generator
• Homodyne-detector-blinding attack in continuous-variable quantum key distribution
• Quantum Hacking on Quantum Key Distribution using Homodyne Detection
• Quantum random number generation on a mobile phone
• Secure self-calibrating quantum random bit generator
• Loss-tolerant measurement-device-independent quantum random number generation
• Experimental Evidence of Quantum Randomness Incomputability
• Insecurity of detector-device-independent quantum key distribution
• True randomness from an incoherent source
• Real time $g^{(2)}$ monitoring at 100 kHz

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Practical Semi-Device Independent Randomness Generation Based on Quantum State's Indistinguishability
• Practical security analysis of a continuous-variable quantum random number generator with a noisy local oscillator
• Physical Security in the Post-quantum Era: A Survey on Side-channel Analysis, Random Number Generators, and Physically Unclonable Functions
• Practical randomness amplification and privatisation with implementations on quantum computers
• Conditional Spectroscopy via Non-Stationary Optical Homodyne Quantum State Tomography
• Cryptomite: A versatile and user-friendly library of randomness extractors
• The eight-port homodyne detector: the effect of imperfections on quantum random number generation and on detection of quadratures
• Quantum Resource Theory of Lasers