Revocable attribute-based ring signature scheme with constant size signature

Abstract

Ring signature is used to sign messages on behalf of a ring of possible signers. Meanwhile, attribute-based signature, in which each user is defined by a set of attributes, can also be used to realize anonymous authentication. Applying the attribute-based technology to ring signature, we propose a revocable attribute-based ring signature scheme with constant size signature. In our scheme, the data owner signs messages with strong anonymity while the attribute authority can revoke the anonymity of a signature when necessary. So the real signer can still form a ring arbitrarily while he must be responsible for his signature. Our scheme can also achieve other security characteristics such as unforgeability and collusion-resistance. Besides, the implementation of scheme is efficient for it is based on attribute rather than certificate. Furthermore, the size of signature as well as the computation overhead of signing and verifying process is constant, which is independent of the number of ring members. These properties are very interesting in real applications where data source authentication needs to be carried out under different scenarios.