Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.00870 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866917180891725824 |
|---|---|
| author | Ünsal, Samet |
| author_facet | Ünsal, Samet |
| contents | We introduce the Quantum State Continuity Problem (QSCP), a security objective orthogonal to identity authentication that captures whether a systems current execution is a legitimate continuation of a unique past execution. We show that classical and stateless quantum authentication mechanisms fail to enforce continuity and remain vulnerable to fork attacks. To address this gap, we propose the Quantum State Continuity Witness (QSCW), a minimal quantum-assisted primitive that enforces temporal linkage of execution through stateful quantum evolution and cumulative auditing. Using a GHZ-based toy instantiation and extensive simulation, we demonstrate that temporal enforcement suppresses fork attacks with exponential decay in success probability, while remaining robust to noise and system parameters. Our results highlight execution continuity as a distinct and underexplored dimension of system security. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_00870 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | The Quantum State Continuity Problem and Temporal Enforcement Against Fork Attacks Ünsal, Samet Quantum Physics Cryptography and Security F.2.2; I.2.7 We introduce the Quantum State Continuity Problem (QSCP), a security objective orthogonal to identity authentication that captures whether a systems current execution is a legitimate continuation of a unique past execution. We show that classical and stateless quantum authentication mechanisms fail to enforce continuity and remain vulnerable to fork attacks. To address this gap, we propose the Quantum State Continuity Witness (QSCW), a minimal quantum-assisted primitive that enforces temporal linkage of execution through stateful quantum evolution and cumulative auditing. Using a GHZ-based toy instantiation and extensive simulation, we demonstrate that temporal enforcement suppresses fork attacks with exponential decay in success probability, while remaining robust to noise and system parameters. Our results highlight execution continuity as a distinct and underexplored dimension of system security. |
| title | The Quantum State Continuity Problem and Temporal Enforcement Against Fork Attacks |
| topic | Quantum Physics Cryptography and Security F.2.2; I.2.7 |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.00870 |