Iterative phase retrieval algorithms. Part II: Attacking optical encryption systems.

Abstract

The modified iterative phase retrieval algorithms developed in Part I [Guo et al., Appl. Opt.54, 4698 (2015)] are applied to perform known plaintext and ciphertext attacks on amplitude encoding and phase encoding Fourier-transform-based double random phase encryption (DRPE) systems. It is shown that the new algorithms can retrieve the two random phase keys (RPKs) perfectly. The performances of the algorithms are tested by using the retrieved RPKs to decrypt a set of different ciphertexts encrypted using the same RPKs. Significantly, it is also shown that the DRPE system is, under certain conditions, vulnerable to ciphertext-only attack, i.e., in some cases an attacker can decrypt DRPE data successfully when only the ciphertext is intercepted.