Attack on the Enhanced Multiparty Quantum Secret Sharing

Recently, Gao et al.'s [Commun. Theor. Phys. 52 (2009) 421] multiparty quantum secret sharing (MQSS) protocol with two-photon three-dimensional Bell states was enhanced by Hwang et al. [Commun. Theor. Phys. 56 (2011) 79]. The improved protocol removes some unnecessary unitary operations, devices, and transmissions by the technique of decoy single photons and careful modification. However, in this paper, we investigate the security of the improved protocol and find it is insecure. The eavesdropper can steal all Alice's secret information. Furthermore, a feasible modification to remedy the security loophole is put forward. Our improved protocol provides a basic method to modify a kind of MQSS protocols which cannot resist the collusion attack.     

Enhancement of GAO's Multiparty Quantum SecretSharing

A multiparty quantum secret sharing (MQSS) protocol with two-photon three-dimensional Bell states was proposed by Gao [Commun. Theor. Phys.52 (2009) 421] recently. This study points out that the performance of Gao's protocol can be much improved by using the technique of decoy single photons
and carefully modifying the protocol to remove some unnecessary unitary operations, devices, and transmissions.     

Multi-Party Quantum Private Comparison Protocol Based on Entanglement Swapping of Bell Entangled States

Recently, Liu et al. proposed a two-party quantum private comparison (QPC) protocol using entanglement swapping of Bell entangled state (Commun. Theor. Phys. 57 (2012) 583). Subsequently, Liu et al. pointed out that in Liu et al.'s protocol, the TP can extract the two users' secret inputs without being detected by launching the Bell-basis measurement attack, and suggested the corresponding improvement to mend this loophole (Commun. Theor. Phys. 62 (2014) 210). In this paper, we first point out the information leakage problem toward TP existing in both of the above two protocols, and then suggest the corresponding improvement by using the one-way hash function to encrypt the two users' secret inputs. We further put forward the three-party QPC protocol also based on entanglement swapping of Bell entangled state, and then validate its output correctness and its security in detail. Finally, we generalize the three-party QPC protocol into the multi-party case, which can accomplish arbitrary pair's comparison of equality among K users within one execution.     

Information Leakage in Quantum Dialogue by Using Non-Symmetric Quantum Channel

In this paper [Commun. Theor. Phys. 53(2010) 648], Zhan et al. proposed a quantum dialogue protocol by using non-symmetric quantum channel. We study the security of the protocol and find that it has the drawback of information leakage. That is, Zhan et al.'s protocol is proved to be insecure by us.     

Cryptanalysis and improvement of several quantum private comparison protocols

Recently, Wu et al(2019 Int. J. Theor. Phys. 58 1854) found a serious information leakage problem in Ye and Ji's quantum private comparison protocol(2017 Int. J. Theor. Phys. 561517), that is, a malicious participant can steal another's secret data without being detected through an active attack means. In this paper, we show that Wu et al's active attack is also effective for several other existing protocols, including the ones proposed by Ji et al and Zha et al(2016 Commun. Theor. Phys. 65 711; 2018 Int. J. Theor. Phys. 57 3874). In addition,we propose what a passive attack means, which is different from Wu et al's active attack in that the malicious participant can easily steal another's secret data only by using his own secret data after finishing the protocol, instead of stealing the data by forging identities when executing the protocol. Furthermore, we find that several other existing quantum private comparison protocols also have such an information leakage problem. In response to the problem, we propose a simple solution, which is more efficient than the ones proposed by Wu et al, because it does not consume additional classical and quantum resources.     

Improvement on ‘Cryptanalysis and Improvement of a Multiparty Quantum Direct Secret Sharing of Classical Messages with Bell States and Bell Measurements’

Recently, Liu (Int J Theor Phys: pp.1–6, 2018) pointed out that Song et al.’s multiparty quantum direct secret sharing protocol (Int J Theor Phys: 57, 1559, 2018) suffers from several attacks and then an improved quantum direct secret sharing protocol was hence proposed. However, this study shows that Liu’s protocol still suffers from an intercept-resend attack. To solve this problem, a modification is proposed here.

     

Robust Multiparty Quantum Secret Sharing against Participant ForcibleManipulation

The security of the multiparty quantum secret sharing protocol proposed by Gao [G. Gao, Commun. Theor. Phys. 52 (2009) 421] isanalyzed. It is shown that this protocol is vulnerable since theagents' imperfect encryption scheme can be attacked by a powerfulparticipant. We introduce a attack strategy called participant forcible manipulation and analyze the information leakage in this protocol under this attack. At last, we give an improved version of the original protocol. The improved protocol is robust and has the same efficiency as the original one.     

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of Quantum Private Comparison Protocol Based on Bell Entangled States

Recently, Liu et al. [Commun. Theor. Phys. 57 (2012) 583] proposed a quantum private comparison protocol based on entanglement swapping of Bell states, which aims to securely compare the equality of two participants' information with the help of a semi-honest third party (TP). However, the present study points out there is a fatal loophole in Liu et al.'s protocol, and TP can make Bell-basis measurement to know all the participants' secret inputs without being detected. To fix the problem, a simple solution, which uses one-time eavesdropper checking with decoy photons instead of twice eavesdropper checking with Bell states, is demonstrated. Compared with the original protocol, it not only reduces the Bell states consumption but also simplifies the protocol steps.     

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of Quantum Private Comparison Protocol Based on Bell Entangled States

Recently, Liu et al. [Commun. Theor. Phys. 57(2012) 583] proposed a quantum private comparison protocol based on entanglement swapping of Bell states, which aims to securely compare the equality of two participants' information with the help of a semi-honest third party(TP). However, the present study points out there is a fatal loophole in Liu et al.'s protocol, and TP can make Bell-basis measurement to know all the participants' secret inputs without being detected. To fix the problem, a simple solution, which uses one-time eavesdropper checking with decoy photons instead of twice eavesdropper checking with Bell states, is demonstrated. Compared with the original protocol,it not only reduces the Bell states consumption but also simplifies the protocol steps.     

Eavesdropping on the improved three-party quantum secret sharing protocol

Lin et al. [Song Lin, Fei Gao, Qiao-yan Wen, Fu-chen Zhu, Opt. Commun. 281 (2008) 4553] pointed out that the multiparty quantum secret sharing protocol [Zhan-jun Zhang, Gan Gao, Xin Wang, Lian-fang Han, Shou-hua Shi, Opt. Commun. 269 (2007) 418] is not secure and proposed an improved three-party quantum secret sharing protocol. In this paper, we study the security of the improved three-party quantum secret sharing protocol and find that it is still not secure. Finally, a further improved three-party quantum secret sharing protocol is proposed.     

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of the Semi-quantum Secret Sharing Protocol

Recently, Xie et al. Int. J. Theor. Phys. 54, 3819–3824, (2015) proposed a Semi-quantum secret sharing protocol (SQSS). Yin et al. Int. J. Theor. Phys. 55: 4027–4035, (2016) pointed out that this protocol suffers from the intercept-resend attack. Yin et al. also proposed an improved protocol. However, we find out that Yin et al.’s paper has some problems, we analyze Yin et al.’s paper, then proposed the improved semi-quantum secret sharing protocol. Our protocol is more secure and efficient, most importantly, our protocol satisfies the condition of semi-quantum.     

Improvement of Efficient Multiparty Quantum Secret Sharing Based on Bell States and Continuous Variable Operations

Yuan et al. (Int. J. Theor. Phys. 51:3443, 2012) proposed a multiparty quantum secret sharing protocol using Bell states and continuous variable operations. Zhang and Qin (Int. J. Theor. Phys. 52:3953, 2013) showed that their protocol is not secure. In this paper, we will give an improvement of Yuan et al. protocol. Our improved protocol can stand against not only Zhang et al. attack strategies, but also the other ones efficiently.     

Comment on the “Quantum Private Comparison Protocol Based on Bell Entangled States”

Recently, Liu et al. proposed a quantum private comparison (QPC) based on Bell entangled states (Liu et al. in Commun. Theor. Phys. 57(4): 583, 2012). This paper points out a security loophole in Liu et al.’s protocol, in which the third party can disclose the private information of both users. In addition, an improvement is proposed to avoid the loophole.     

Improvement of Gao et al.’s semi-quantum secret sharing protocol

Recently, Yin and Fu (Int. J. Theor. Phys. 55(9), 4027–4035 (2016)) pointed out that Xie et al.’s semi-quantum secret sharing (SQSS) protocol (Int. J. Theor. Phys. 54(10), 3819–3824 (2015)) suffers from the intercept-resend attack from a dishonest party, and suggested an improved protocol accordingly. Later, Gao et al. (Int. J. Theor. Phys. 56(8), 2512–2520 (2017)) pointed out that Yin and Fu’s analysis on the intercept-resend attack from a dishonest party is incorrect. Moreover, they also pointed out that Yin and Fu’s improved protocol does not satisfy the condition of semi-quantum, and proposed an improved protocol. This paper is devoted to putting forward an improved version for Gao et al.’s protocol. Compared with Gao et al.’s protocol, the improved version has higher quantum efficiency and less classical communication cost.

     

Reexamining the Security of Controlled Quantum Secure Direct Communication by Using Four Particle Cluster States

A controlled quantum secure direct communication protocol (Zhang et al. in Int. J. Theor. Phys. 48:2971–2976, 2009) by using four particle cluster states was proposed recently. Yang et al. presented an attack with fake entangled particles (FEP attack) and gave an improvement (Yang et al. in Int. J. Theor. Phys. 50:395–400, 2010). In this paper, we reexamine the protocol’s security and discover that, Bob can also take a different attack, disentanglement attack, to obtain Alice’s secret message without controller’s permission. Moreover, our attack strategy also works for Yang’s improvement.     

Improving the Security of ‘High-Capacity Quantum Summation with Single Photons in both Polarization and Spatial-Mode Degrees of Freedom’

In 2014, Zhang et al. (Int J Theor Phys:53:933–941, 2014) proposed a secure multi-party quantum summation protocol based on single photons in both polarization and spatial-mode degrees of freedom. They claimed that the proposed protocol can efficiently help the involved participants to sum their secrets, and at the same time, each participant’s secret can be kept from being known by others. However, this study shows that Zhang et al.’s protocol suffers from the intercept-resend attack. To solve this problem, a modification is proposed here.

     

Cryptanalysis of multiparty quantum secret sharing with Bell states and Bell measurements

The security of multiparty quantum secret sharing with Bell states and Bell measurements [R.H. Shi et al., Opt. Commun. 283 (2010) 2476] is analyzed. It is shown that the first agent and the last one can gain access to the dealer's secret if they collaborate in this protocol. Therefore, this protocol does not satisfy the security requirement of quantum secret sharing.     

Optical Operator Method in Two-Mode Case and Entangled Fresnel Operator＇s Decomposition

Based on the entangled Fresnel operator （EFO） proposed in [Commun. Theor. Phys. 46 （2006） 559], the optical operator method studied by the IWOP technique （Ma et al., Commun. Theor. Phys. 49 （2008） 1295） is extended to the two-mode case, which gives the decomposition of the entangled Fresnel operator, corresponding to the decomposition of ray transfer matrix [A, B, C, D]. The EFO can unify those optical operators in two-mode case. Various decompositions of EFO into the exponential canonical operators are obtained. The entangled state representation is useful in the research.     

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of the Controlled Quantum Secure Direct Communication by Using Four Particle Cluster States

In a recent study (Yang et al. in Int. J. Theor. Phys. 50:395–400, 2011), Yang et al. pointed out that the controller’s role in the quantum secure direct communication protocol (Zhang et al. in Int. J. Theor. Phys. 48:2971–2976, 2009) could be excluded unknowingly, the receiver can directly obtain the sender’s message without the permission of the controller, and then they presented an improved protocol. However, in this paper, we show that the dishonest controller in the improved protocol can steal the sender’s secret message without being detected. Meanwhile, we show that the controller’s role still can be excluded unknowingly in the improved protocol. An improvement is proposed to avoid these two flaws.     

Improving the security of multiparty quantum secret sharing based on the improved Boström-Felbinger protocol

In a recent paper [Z.J. Zhang et al., Opt. Commun. 269 (2007) 418], a protocol of multiparty quantum secret sharing was presented. We study the security of this protocol and found that it is not secure for a dishonest agent Charlie, who can illegally elicit half of Alice’s secret message by himself. Finally a feasible improvement of this quantum secret sharing protocol is proposed.