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CCS
2008
ACM

Information leaks in structured peer-to-peer anonymous communication systems

13 years 5 months ago
Information leaks in structured peer-to-peer anonymous communication systems
We analyze information leaks in the lookup mechanisms of structured peer-to-peer anonymous communication systems and how these leaks can be used to compromise anonymity. We show that the techniques that are used to combat active attacks on the lookup mechanism dramatically increase information leaks and increase the efficacy of passive attacks. Thus there is a trade-off between robustness to active and passive attacks. We study this trade-off in two P2P anonymous systems, Salsa and AP3. In both cases, we find that, by combining both passive and active attacks, anonymity can be compromised much more effectively than previously thought, rendering these systems insecure for most proposed uses. Our results hold even if security parameters are changed or other improvements to the systems are considered. Our study therefore motivates the search for new approaches to P2P anonymous communication. Categories and Subject Descriptors C.2.0 [Computer-Communication Networks]: General-Security and ...
Prateek Mittal, Nikita Borisov
Added 12 Oct 2010
Updated 12 Oct 2010
Type Conference
Year 2008
Where CCS
Authors Prateek Mittal, Nikita Borisov
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