On the security of the Blockchain Bix Protocol and Certificates

Riccardo Longo
Federico Pintore
Giancarlo Rinaldo
Massimiliano Sala
The BIX protocol is a blockchain-based protocol that allows distribution of certificates linking a subject with his public key, hence providing a service similar to that of a PKI but without the need of a CA. In this paper we analyze the security of the BIX protocol in a formal way, in four steps. First, we identify formal security assumptions which are wellsuited to this protocol. Second, we present some attack scenarios against the BIX protocol. Third, we provide a formal security proof that some of these attacks are not feasible under our previously established assumptions. Finally, we show how another attack may be carried on.

Metadata

Year 2016
Peer Reviewed not_interested
Venue arXiv preprint arXiv:1607.08401
mode_edit