Beyond the Quantum Promise: A Security Analysis of Classical Control in Quantum Key Distribution

arXiv:2608.07626 · quant-ph, cs.CR, cs.SC · Submitted 2026-08-07 · Read on arXiv

Ali Hamza Malik, Raja Hasnain Anwar, Muhammad Taqi Raza

quant-ph, cs.CR, cs.SC

Submitted: 2026-08-07

Updated: 2026-08-11

Code: https://github.com/KhwarizmiLab/QVerify

License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/

Terminology

• Quantum Key Distribution — 51× in this paper
• Verification — 36× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Entanglement — 25× in this paper · explained in 5 episodes
• Trace — 13× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Quantum Channel — 12× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Abstraction — 9× in this paper · explained in 1 episode
• Formal Verification — 8× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Quantum Channels — 3× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Verifier — 2× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Adversarial Model — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Coherence — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Core — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Editor — 1× in this paper · explained in 2 episodes
• Failure Modes — 1× in this paper · explained in 3 episodes

Sources

• Cryptographic security of quantum key distribution
• Evaluation of quantum key distribution systems against injection-locking attacks
• Quantum key distribution with imperfectly isolated devices
• Modelling and Analysis of Quantum Key Distribution Protocols, BB84 and B92, in Communicating Quantum Processes(CQP) language and Analysing in PRISM
• An Automated Analysis of the Security of Quantum Key Distribution
• Formal Verification of Quantum Protocols
• Time-shift attack in practical quantum cryptosystems
• Quantum Authenticated Key Expansion with Key Recycling

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