Onions Based on Universal Re-encryption - Anonymous Communication Immune Against Repetitive Attack

Abstract. Encapsulating messages in onions is one of the major techniques providing anonymous communication in computer networks. To some extent, it provides security against traffic analysis by a passive adversary. However, it can be highly vulnerable to attacks by an active adversary. For instance, the adversary may perform a simple so–called repetitive attack: a malicious server sends the same massage twice, then the adversary traces places where the same message appears twice – revealing the route of the original message. A repetitive attack was examined for mix–networks. However, none of the countermeasures designed is suitable for onion–routing. In this paper we propose an “onion-like” encoding design based on universal reencryption. The onions constructed in this way can be used in a protocol that achieves the same goals as the classical onions, however, at the same time we achieve immunity against a repetitive attack. Even if an adversary disturbs communication and...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: WISA
• Authors: Marcin Gomulkiewicz, Marek Klonowski, Miroslaw Kutylowski
• Keywords: Adversary Traces Places, Passive Adversary, Repetitive Attack, Security Privacy, WISA 2004