Accession Number:

ADA509264

Title:

Analysis of a Man-in-the-Middle Attack on the Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange Protocol

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA

Personal Author(s):

• Geary, Aaron C.

Report Date:

2009-09-01

Pagination or Media Count:

74.0

Abstract:

The ability to distribute cryptographic keys securely has been a challenge for centuries. The Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol was the first practical solution to the key exchange dilemma. The Diffie-Hellman protocol allows two parties to exchange a secret key over unsecured communication channels without meeting in advance. The secret key can then be used in a symmetric encryption application, and the two parties can communicate securely. However, if the key exchange takes place in certain mathematical environments, the exchange becomes vulnerable to a specific man-in-the-middle attack, first observed by Vanstone. We explore this man-in-the-middle attack, analyze countermeasures against the attack, and extend the attack to the multi-party setting.

Descriptors:

• *COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOLS
• *SECURE COMMUNICATIONS
• THESES
• DATA TRANSMISSION SECURITY
• COUNTERMEASURES
• ALGEBRA
• CRYPTOGRAPHY
• CODING

Subject Categories:

• Computer Programming and Software
• Computer Systems Management and Standards

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE