Adaptive chaotic map-based key extraction for efficient cross-layer authentication in VANETs

Shawky, M. A. , Usman, M., Imran, M. A. , Abbasi, Q. H. , Ansari, S. and Taha, A. (2023) Adaptive chaotic map-based key extraction for efficient cross-layer authentication in VANETs. Vehicular Communications, 39, 100547. (doi: 10.1016/j.vehcom.2022.100547)

Abstract

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication is expected to offer users available and ultra-reliable transmission, particularly for critical applications related to safety and autonomy. In this context, establishing a secure and resilient authentication process with low latency and high functionality may not be achieved using conventional cryptographic methodologies due to their significant computation costs. Recent research has focused on employing the physical (PHY) characteristics of wireless channels to develop efficient discrimination techniques to overcome the shortcomings of crypto-based authentication. This paper presents a cross-layer authentication scheme for multicarrier communication, leveraging the spatially/temporally correlated wireless channel features to facilitate key verification without exposing its secrecy. By mapping the time-stamped hashed key and masking it with channel phase responses, we create a PHY-layer signature, allowing for verifying the sender's identity while employing the correlated channel responses between subcarriers to verify messages' integrity. Furthermore, we developed a Diffie-Hellman secret key extraction algorithm that employs the computationally intractable problems of the Chebyshev chaotic mapping for channel probing. Thus, terminals can extract high entropy shared keys that can be used to create dynamic PHY-layer signatures, supporting forward and backward secrecy. We evaluated the scheme's security strength against active/passive attacks. Besides theoretical analysis, we designed a 3-Dimensional (3D) scattering Doppler emulator to investigate the scheme's performance at different speeds of a moving vehicle and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for a realistic vehicular channel. Theoretical and hardware implementation analyses proved the capability of the proposed scheme to support high detection probability at SNR ≥ 0 dB and speed ≤ 45 m/s.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the Egyptian Ministry of Defence.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Taha, Dr Ahmad and Ansari, Dr Shuja and Imran, Professor Muhammad and Shawky, Mr Mahmoud and Usman, Dr Muhammad and Abbasi, Dr Qammer
• Authors: Shawky, M. A., Usman, M., Imran, M. A., Abbasi, Q. H., Ansari, S., and Taha, A.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering; College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity; College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Journal Name: Vehicular Communications
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 2214-2096
• ISSN (Online): 2214-2096
• Published Online: 14 November 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Vehicular Communications 39: 100547
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License