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Adaptive Double-Spending Attacks on PoW-Based Blockchains

delete2024-05-01
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PRE
AI
J
Jian Zheng
黄华威 cover
黄华威 (Huawei Huang) *
Z
Zibin Zheng
S
Song Guo
DOI:10.1109/TDSC.2023.3268668delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Previous state-of-the-art studies have proposed various analytical models to understand the double-spending attacks (DSA) occurred in Proof-of-Work (PoW) based Blockchains. Although many insights behind the double-spending attacks have been disclosed, we still believe that advanced versions of DSA can be developed to create new threats for the PoW-based blockchains such as the Bitcoin blockchain. In this paper, we present two new types of double-spending attacks in the context of the PoW-based blockchain and discuss the insights behind them. By considering more practical network parameters, such as the number of confirmation blocks, the hashpower of the double-spending attacker, the amount of coins in the target transaction, and the network-status parameter, we first analyze the success probability of the conventional double-spending attack, named Naive DSA. Based on Naive DSA, we create two new adaptive DSA, i.e., the Adaptive DSA and the Reinforcement Adaptive DSA (RA-DSA). In our analytical models, a double-spending attack is converted into a Markov Decision Process. We then exploit the Stochastic Dynamic Programming (SDP) approach to obtain the optimal attack strategies under Adaptive DSA and RA-DSA. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the correlations between each critical network parameter and the expected attacker's reward. Through the proposed analytical models, we aim to alert the PoW-based blockchain ecosystem that the threat of double-spending attacks is still at a dangerous level. For example, our findings show that the attacker can launch a successful attack with a small hashpower proportion much lower than 51% under RA-DSA.
Keywords:
Blockchains
Bitcoin
Analytical models
Adaptive systems
Security
Markov processes
Proof of Work
Blockchain
double-spending attack
proof of work

Journal

IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing cover
IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing
IF:
7.5
Papers:
2.4K
Citations:
9.6K

Organization

H
hong kong polytechnic university
Scholars:
3.0W
Papers: 4.1W
Citations: 921
S
Sun Yat Sen University
Scholars:
9.9W
Papers: 7.2W
Citations: 95