Hidden probe attacks on ultralong fiber laser key distribution systems

Abstract

In ultralong fiber laser key distribution, two sides use standard optical equipment to create kilometer long fiber lasers in a communication link to establish a secret key. Its security rests on the assumption that any attacker would need much more sophisticated equipment and techniques than those of the legitimate user in order to discover the generated key. We present a challenge to that assumption with a hidden probe attack in which the eavesdropper hides a weak signal in the unavoidable noise floor that appears in the laser during amplification and probes with it the configuration of one or both communication parties. We comment how this attack can compromise different proposals for ultralong laser key distribution and propose possible countermeasures.