Analysing a stream authentication protocol using model checking

Philippa Hopcroft and Gavin Lowe

From the issue entitled "Special issue on ESORICS 2002"

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Abstract

In this paper, we consider how one can analyse a stream authentication protocol using model checking techniques. In particular, we will be focusing on the Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication Protocol, TESLA. This protocol differs from the standard class of authentication protocols previously analysed using model checking techniques in the following interesting way: an unbounded stream of messages is broadcast by a sender, making use of an unbounded stream of keys; the authentication of the n-th message in the stream is achieved on receipt of the n+1-th message. We show that, despite the infinite nature of the protocol, it is possible to build a finite model that correctly captures its behaviour.

Keywords  Stream authentication protocols - Model checking - Automatic verification - Data independence

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