Comment on "Semiquantum secret sharing using entangled states"

TL;DR

This paper critiques recent semi-quantum secret sharing protocols, identifying security vulnerabilities in their eavesdropping checks and proposing solutions to prevent potential attacks that could compromise the secret.

Contribution

It highlights security flaws in existing protocols and offers two solutions to enhance their robustness against specific attack strategies.

Findings

Security pitfalls in eavesdropping check phases identified

Potential for intercept-resend and Trojan horse attacks

Proposed solutions to prevent security breaches

Abstract

Recently, Li et al. [Phys. Rev. A, 82(2), 022303] presented two semi-quantum secret sharing (SQSS) protocols using GHZ-like states. The proposed schemes are rather practical because only the secret dealer requires to equip with advanced quantum devices such as quantum memory, whereas the other agents can merely perform classical operations to complete the secret sharing. However, this study points out that a security pitfall exists in the eavesdropping check phase of both schemes that could mount to an Intercept-resend attack and a Trojan horse attack on the two schemes, respectively, to disclose the other agent's shadow, and further to reveal the master key of the SQSS, which contradicts to the security requirement of a QSS. Fortunately, two possible solutions are proposed to avoid this security pitfall.