Improved One-Way Hash Chain and Revocation Polynomial-Based Self-Healing Group Key Distribution Schemes in Resource-Constrained Wireless Networks

Abstract

Self-healing group key distribution (SGKD) aims to deal with the key distribution problem over an unreliable wireless network. In this paper, we investigate the SGKD issue in resource-constrained wireless networks. We propose two improved SGKD schemes using the one-way hash chain (OHC) and the revocation polynomial (RP), the OHC&RP-SGKD schemes. In the proposed OHC&RP-SGKD schemes, by introducing the unique session identifier and binding the joining time with the capability of recovering previous session keys, the problem of the collusion attack between revoked users and new joined users in existing hash chain-based SGKD schemes is resolved. Moreover, novel methods for utilizing the one-way hash chain and constructing the personal secret, the revocation polynomial and the key updating broadcast packet are presented. Hence, the proposed OHC&RP-SGKD schemes eliminate the limitation of the maximum allowed number of revoked users on the maximum allowed number of sessions, increase the maximum allowed number of revoked/colluding users, and reduce the redundancy in the key updating broadcast packet. Performance analysis and simulation results show that the proposed OHC&RP-SGKD schemes are practical for resource-constrained wireless networks in bad environments, where a strong collusion attack resistance is required and many users could be revoked.

Secure Information Sharing System for Online Patient Networks

“…Hybrid group key management schemes [29][30][31][32] are about the best use of both schemes: a centralized distribution scheme and a distributed key agreement scheme. Lastly, a self-healing group key distribution scheme (SGKD) is for wireless networks including sensor networks [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]. In this paper, we focus on SGKD schemes because SISS's application includes both networks of wired and wireless and SISS has more relations with SGKD schemes than other schemes.…”

“…The main point of self-healing schemes is that group members can recover the missing session keys without retransmission of the missing messages from the GM (group manager). A SGKD scheme is largely divided into four categories again: polynomial based SGKD (P-SGKD) schemes [33][34][35][36][37], vector space secret sharing based SGKD schemes [38][39][40][41], bilinear pairings based SGKD schemes [42,43], and exponential arithmetic based SGKD (E-SGKD) schemes [44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51]. P-SGKD and vector space secret sharing based SGKD schemes are generally known as "not efficient".…”

A Note on an Improved Self-Healing Group Key Distribution Scheme

“…Chen et al [ 2 ] proposed two one-way hash chain self-healing group key distribution schemes based on the revocation polynomial in their paper. In fact, in the first scheme, each is masked by different masking polynomials, , which makes the scheme to be more secure.…”

“…Chen et al [ 2 ] list Theorem 5 to show the security of their Scheme 2, thus Theorem 5 does not hold. To sum up, multiple masking polynomials should be adopted to design a secure self-healing group key distribution schemes using the polynomial secret sharing as the basic cryptographic technique.…”

“…In order to achieve secure group communication in unreliable wireless networks, Staddon et al [ 1 ] introduced a group key distribution scheme with self-healing mechanism, which allows a group member to recover session keys even if he doesn’t receive the corresponding broadcast messages because of packet loss, without requesting anything to the group manager. Recently, Chen et al [ 2 ] developed two schemes to realize the self-healing group key distribution based on one-way hash chain. The proposed Scheme 2 has the constant storage overhead and low communication overhead, thus is very suitable for the resource-constrained wireless networks.…”