BLOCKCHAIN-ENHANCED SECURE AUTHENTICATION FOR WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS USING CONSORTIUM BLOCKCHAIN AND FUZZY EXTRACTOR

Abstract

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) play a crucial role in modern communication systems, yet they remain highly vulnerable to security threats due to their decentralized and resource-constrained nature. Ensuring secure authentication within WSNs is essential for safeguarding sensitive data transmission and user identity verification. Traditional authentication mechanisms often struggle to balance security, efficiency, and resistance to adversarial attacks. To address these challenges, a Blockchain-Based Authentication (BCAuth) technique is introduced, leveraging a Consortium Blockchain (CB) framework integrated with key agreements for biometric authentication. The approach incorporates a Fuzzy Extractor (FE) to enhance the security of user biometrics and passwords, mitigating risks associated with biometric template storage and unauthorized access. The BCAuth framework utilizes blockchain's decentralized nature to ensure tamper-proof authentication records while enabling efficient key management. The security of the proposed authentication mechanism has been rigorously evaluated using Real-Or-Random (RoR) modeling and the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool. The formal verification results confirm that BCAuth provides robust resistance against replay, impersonation, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Additionally, performance evaluations highlight the approach’s efficiency in terms of computational overhead and authentication latency compared to conventional methods. By integrating blockchain technology with biometric authentication and a fuzzy extractor, this technique ensures enhanced security while maintaining lightweight processing suitable for resource-constrained WSN environments.