Fido2 Post Quantum Cryptography Implementation Studies Security Against Large-Scale Attacks

Modern authentication systems, originating with early password-based approaches, have increasingly adopted hardware-based security, culminating in the widely used FIDO2 standard for passwordless logins. However, current FIDO2 protocols rely on classical cryptographic algorithms vulnerable to attacks from increasingly powerful computers, creating a pressing need for enhanced security. Aditya Mitra and Sibi Chakkaravarthy Sethuraman, from VIT-AP University and DigitalFortress Private Limited, alongside their colleagues, address this challenge by investigating the implementation and performance of a new signature algorithm, Module Lattice-based Digital Signature Algorithm (ML-DSA), built upon the Crystals-Dilithium standard. This research demonstrates the feasibility of integrating post-quantum cryptography into FIDO2, paving the way for authentication systems resilient to future computational threats and ensuring continued secure access in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Authentication systems have evolved considerably since the 1960s, when Fernando Corbato first proposed password-based authentication. In 2013, the FIDO Alliance proposed using secure hardware for authentication, marking a milestone in the passwordless authentication era. Passwordless authentication with a possession-based factor often relies on hardware-backed cryptographic methods. FIDO2, an amalgamation of the W3C Web Authentication and FIDO Alliance Client to Authenticator Protocol, is an industry standard for secure passwordless authentication with rising adoption. The goal is to enhance security against attacks from future quantum computers, while maintaining the usability and phishing resistance of existing FIDO2/WebAuthn standards. The key implements ML-DSA, a post-quantum cryptographic algorithm, protecting against decryption by future quantum computers, addressing a vulnerability in current authentication methods. The key adheres to the FIDO2 standard, ensuring compatibility with existing web browsers, websites, and applications that support WebAuthn.

Performance analysis demonstrates that the computational overhead of ML-DSA is relatively small, adding approximately 10 milliseconds compared to existing methods, making it feasible for real-world use. The key performs authentication and registration without significant delays. The key is designed to resist common attacks like phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks, leveraging the security features of FIDO2 and the post-quantum cryptography of ML-DSA. Researchers developed a physical prototype of the key and tested its functionality. Future work includes integrating secure storage and exploring biometric authentication methods. This research demonstrates the feasibility of building a secure, FIDO2-compliant authentication key resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum computers, representing a step towards future-proofing online authentication systems. This research is relevant to security researchers, cryptography experts, and developers working on authentication systems, web security, and post-quantum cryptography.

FIDO2 Authentication Secured with Post-Quantum Cryptography

The Qey represents a significant step towards securing passwordless authentication systems against emerging quantum computing threats. This work demonstrates a practical pathway for integrating advanced cryptography into widely adopted authentication protocols. The team constructed a prototype system utilizing an ARM Cortex A-53 processor-based microcontroller, interfaced with a USB 2. 0 port.

Essential cryptographic secrets were stored on a MicroSD card, acknowledging the current lack of secure storage media fully supporting post-quantum cryptography standards. A user presence check was incorporated via a push button and a status LED, ensuring interactive security. The system functions as a USB gadget, running a stripped-down Debian-based operating system. A custom Python-based implementation of the CTAP protocol was developed, enabling communication with standard FIDO2 services. The device presents itself to the host computer as a HID device, signaling its function as a FIDO key.

Crucially, the implementation leverages ML-DSA functions from the Open Quantum Safe (OQS) project, a NIST-recommended source for post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. To facilitate compatibility within the FIDO2 ecosystem, the team adopted proposed IANA assignments for ML-DSA algorithms. The Python-based CTAP implementation incorporating ML-DSA runs as a systemd service, activating immediately upon device connection. This work establishes a functional proof-of-concept, paving the way for future integration of robust, quantum-resistant authentication methods. This advancement addresses a critical vulnerability in current FIDO2 systems, which rely on classical cryptographic algorithms susceptible to future decryption technologies. The study highlights improved resilience against “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, where captured communications could be decrypted once quantum computers become powerful enough. While the current implementation remains vulnerable to physical attacks on the key itself, due to limitations in secure storage technology supporting post-quantum cryptography, the researchers anticipate addressing this with hybrid cryptographic approaches and future integration of biometric authentication methods. This work represents a significant step towards securing online accounts and services against evolving threats in the age of quantum computing.