Securing Blockchain-based IoT Systems with Physical Unclonable Functions and Zero-Knowledge Proofs

TL;DR

The paper presents a holistic framework for securing blockchain-based IoT (BIoT) systems by integrating hardware-rooted PUFs with privacy-preserving ZKPs within Hyperledger Fabric. It details a modular architecture featuring PUF-based device registration, Groth16 zk-SNARK-based authentication, and secure transaction processing with on-chain integrity and off-chain efficiency. The approach addresses device impersonation, MITM, data tampering, and replay threats, while discussing quantum-resilience through post-quantum options. Experimental results from off-chain prototype evaluation show a total cycle time around $2,800$ ms and a median proof size of about $805$ bytes, with modest memory requirements, supporting feasibility for resource-constrained IoT settings. The work highlights its applicability across BIoT domains, offering a scalable, privacy-preserving ledger for IoT identity and transaction management, with planned live deployment and broader platform exploration.

Abstract

This paper presents a framework for securing blockchain-based IoT systems by integrating Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) within a Hyperledger Fabric environment. The proposed framework leverages PUFs for unique device identification and ZKPs for privacy-preserving authentication and transaction processing. Experimental results demonstrate the framework's feasibility, performance, and security against various attacks. This framework provides a comprehensive solution for addressing the security challenges in blockchain-based IoT systems.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: System architecture of the proposed framework for securing blockchain-based IoT systems using PUFs and ZKPs.
• Figure 2: Time metrics for the proposed framework across 50 iterations.
• Figure 3: Box plot of proof sizes across 50 iterations.
• Figure 4: Average time and memory usage metrics for the proposed framework.