Clone Detection in Secure Messaging: Improving Post-Compromise Security in Practice

Abstract

We investigate whether modern messaging apps achieve the strong post-compromise security guarantees offered by their underlying protocols. In particular, we perform a black-box experiment in which a user becomes the victim of a clone attack; in this attack, the user's full state (including identity keys) is compromised by an attacker who clones their device and then later attempts to impersonate them, using the app through its user interface.