Zero knowledge proofs enable verifiable spectrum sharing with privacy
zkSAS: Practical Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Verifiable Spectrum Access Management
Cryptography and Security
Summary
Sharing wireless spectrum efficiently is tricky because regulators must ensure fair use without exposing sensitive user information. The authors present zkSAS, a system using zero-knowledge proofs to confirm that spectrum access follows rules without revealing private details. This method works for both traditional and blockchain-based spectrum systems and keeps verification fast even as more users join. Their tests show zkSAS can help make dynamic spectrum sharing secure and trustworthy.
What this means in practice
- •For wireless network operators: Verify spectrum channel assignments comply with regulations without revealing user data in centralized systems.
- •For blockchain developers: Implement privacy-preserving and verifiable spectrum access controls on blockchain-based spectrum sharing platforms.
Authors
Nishat F. Purbasha, Ifteher Alom, Eric W. Burger, Y. Thomas Hou, Wenjing Lou, Yang Xiao
Abstract
Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) through the Spectrum Access Systems (SAS) elevates spectral efficiency, yet existing centralized models face allocation logic opaqueness and a lack of independent verifiability. While blockchain-based SAS architectures offer transparency and verifiability by default, they introduce critical privacy risks and prohibitive on-chain computational overhead. We introduce zkSAS, a practical zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) system designed to address the verifiability and privacy gaps in SAS deployments, with direct applicability to both the existing CBRS SAS model and blockchain-based SAS models. The system features a suite of ZKP circuits, encompassing proofs of allocation constraint validity and proofs of move list validity to verify that channel assignments and move list-based incumbent protection measures, respectively, adhere to regulatory constraints without exposing sensitive user data. Comprehensive evaluation of our prototype in both centralized and blockchain-based settings indicates that while proof generation scales with spectrum user population, verification remains lightweight and constant-time. We envision that zkSAS offers a scalable and practical path to secure, verifiable dynamic spectrum sharing.