Cloudflare discusses post-quantum privacy authentication MOLE scheme
Understand this story
Cloudflare published a technical article discussing the evolution path of web privacy authentication in the post-quantum era, and proposed a new scheme called MOLE (Moderation Of unLinkable Endorsements). The scheme is based on a new breakthrough in blind signature design, with the goal of keeping privacy authentication mechanisms such as Privacy Pass usable under the threat of quantum computing. Cloudflare said this blind signature breakthrough makes post-quantum privacy possible, but the article discusses "a possible future" and does not state that MOLE has been deployed or that its practical effectiveness has been verified.
AI overview based on source reports · Updated 1 hr ago
Coverage timeline
Follow the coverage to explore different perspectives.
- Cloudflare BlogThe post-quantum future of web privacy
Cloudflare explains that Privacy Pass, which uses blind signatures to issue unlinkable tokens for abuse prevention, remains unconditionally private but relies on quantum-vulnerable classical cryptography, so quantum attackers could forge tokens. The post explores MOLE (Moderation Of unLinkable Endorsements), a design whose endorsements hide the issuer's identity, and examines post-quantum building blocks including VOLE-in-the-Head proofs, UOV/MAYO multivariate signatures, and the PoMFRIT blind signature (6.7KB, reducible to about 4.3KB with UOV). It also discusses optimizations such as fewer hashes, TurboSHAKE, smaller Keccak states and multivariate commitments, and notes Cloudflare is developing VOLE-IHAT for endorsements and VOLE-ACT for credentials.
Activity for this story
Not enough continuous observations to show a trend yet.