Robust Physical-Layer Group Key Generation for User-Centric Cell-Free Networks

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Beitragende

Abstract

The distributed nature of cell-free massive multipleinput multiple-output networks, where multiple access points serve users, offers an attractive opportunity to enhance security and enable physical-layer group key generation. However, usercentric operation introduces a key challenge: users observe different subsets of access points, leading to non-identical observations and potentially inconsistent group keys even when all users succeed. In this paper, we propose a receiver-aggregated, dealerless framework for group key generation in user-centric cell-free networks. The core idea is to exploit distributed access points as entropy contributors while enforcing consistency through a scheduler-defined common contributor pool, which aligns observations across users and enables consistent all-equal key agreement without direct user-equipment communication or centralized key assembly. We further address insider threats, where compromised access points may send authenticated yet inconsistent messages. By incorporating verifiable secret sharing, such behavior is converted into detectable erasures, preventing silent key divergence and enabling robust threshold reconstruction. Simulation results demonstrate reliable key agreement under heterogeneous connectivity, resilience to insider attacks, and high entropy at practical signal-to-noise ratio levels.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Titel2026 IEEE 37th International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, PIMRC 2026
Herausgeber (Verlag)Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
ISBN (elektronisch)9798331562984
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Okt. 2026
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Publikationsreihe

ReiheIEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, PIMRC
ISSN2166-9570

Konferenz

Titel37th IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, PIMRC 2026
Dauer1 - 4 September 2026
StadtSingapore
LandSingapur

Schlagworte

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Schlagwörter

  • Cell-free massive MIMO, Distributed key generation, Group key generation, Physical layer security