A Novel Attack Strategy on Entanglement Swapping QKD Protocols

Abstract

Li et al. presented a protocol [Int. Journal of Quantum Information, Vol. 4, No. 6 (2006) 899-906] for quantum key distribution based on entanglement swapping. In this protocol they use random and certain bits to construct a classical key and they claim that this key is secure. In our article we show that the protocol by Li et al. is insecure presenting a new type of attack strategy which gives an adversary full information about the key without being detected. This strategy is based on entanglement swapping, too, and manages to preserve the correlation between the measurement results of the legitimate parties. Further we present a modified version of the protocol and show that it is secure against this new attack strategy.