A Hash-Based Quantum-Resistant Designated Verifier Signature Scheme

Abstract

Digital signatures are unsuitable for specific applications that are sensitive on a personal or commercial level because they are universally verifiable. Jakobsson et al. proposed the Designated Verifier Signature (DVS) system, which only allows the intended verifier to validate a message’s signature. It prohibits the disclosure of a conviction to a third party. This functionality is useful in applications that require both authenticity and signer privacy, such as electronic voting and tender calls. The vast majority of current DVS schemes are based on difficult number theory problems such as integer factorization or discrete log problems over various groups. The development of a large-scale quantum computer would render these schemes unsafe. As a result, it is critical to develop quantum-resistant DVS methods. In both quantum and classical computers, signatures based on one-way functions are more efficient and secure. They have several advantages over digital signatures based on trapdoor functions. As a result, hash-based signatures are now considered viable alternatives to number-theoretic signatures. Existing hash-based signatures, on the other hand, are easily verifiable by anyone. As a result, they do not protect the signer’s identity. In addition, they are one-time signatures. This paper presents a hash-based multi-time designated verifier signature scheme that ensures signer anonymity. The unforgeability of the signature scheme is also tested in the random oracle model under chosen message attack. The properties such as non-transferability and non-delegatability are investigated.

Keywords

• digital signatures
• hash-based cryptography
• designated verifier signatures
• homomorphic hash function
• preimage resistance
• random oracle model