A Lightweight QR-assisted Zero-knowledge Identification Protocol For Secure Authentication

TL;DR

This paper introduces a lightweight QR-assisted Zero-Knowledge authentication protocol based on Schnorr's scheme, enabling secure, fast, and resource-efficient verification suitable for mobile devices.

Contribution

It presents a novel QR code-based Zero-Knowledge protocol that enhances security and efficiency for mobile authentication systems.

Findings

Proof generation and verification take milliseconds at 256-bit security.

Proof size is approximately 0.5 KB, suitable for QR codes.

System is effective for low-resource mobile environments.

Abstract

This study proposes a lightweight Zero-Knowledge authentication model supported by QR codes. The approach is based on the Schnorr authentication protocol and provides an additional security layer against replay attacks through nonce and timestamp mechanisms. The proof data generated by the prover is embedded within a QR code and transmitted to the verifier. Thus, the system enables verification of knowledge of the secret key without revealing it. Simulation results show that proof generation and verification times under a 256-bit security level are in the millisecond range. Additionally, the proof size remains constant at approximately 0.5 KB, making it suitable for practical applications in terms of QR code capacity. The findings indicate that the proposed model is applicable in mobile and low-resource systems in terms of both security and performance.