D2DSec: An efficient quantum-safe authentication scheme for secure in coverage Device-to-Device communication in 5G networks

Device-to-Device (D2D) communication in a 5G network offers direct interaction between devices in close vicinity, bypassing the need for 5G network infrastructure for user data transmission. This approach enhances network performance by reducing traffic on the 5G core network, extending coverage, and minimizing communication latency. D2D communication is classified into three use-case scenarios based on the network’s coverage: In-coverage, Relay coverage, and Out-of-coverage. In the In-coverage scenario, both communicating devices operate in the network’s coverage area. As D2D communication gains increasing attention, the need for a secure authentication and key agreement scheme becomes paramount. While public key infrastructure (PKI) solutions, such as RSA and ECC, are widely used, they are vulnerable to quantum attacks, particularly Shor’s algorithm. To address this challenge, we propose a lightweight authentication and key agreement scheme. The significance of the proposal is that it enhances resistance to quantum attacks by leveraging symmetric key techniques and the SHA3-512 hash function, offering robustness against Grover’s algorithm and avoiding vulnerabilities associated with Shor’s algorithm. This ensures a higher level of security in anticipation of emerging quantum threats, given the rapid advancements in quantum computing. Validation through BAN logic and AVISPA confirms the scheme’s resilience against various threats, while performance analysis highlights its efficiency with minimal computation and communication overhead. The computation overhead of the devices is measured at 931.04 ms for the Arduino Uno Rev 3, 37.14 ms for the ESP8266, and 2.96 ms for the Raspberry Pi 4, while the communication overhead is measured to be 7920 bits.