Data Validation System Using QR Code and Meaningless Reversible Degradation
Lucas F. Freitas, Adalberto R. Nogueira, Max E. Vizcarra Melgar · 2019
QR Codes are used as information channel on several cryptographic architectures due to their technical properties, such as data capacity and retrieval reliability. This paper presents a novel string data validation system using QR Codes and meaningless reversible degradation. The proposed scheme exploits reversible degradation properties, using the systematic Berlekamp Reed-Solomon error correction algorithm and the QR Code. This new mechanism encodes up to 388 characters in two information channels: a dynamic version QR Code (channel 1) and a wireless network (channel 2). A byte mode QR Code stores partial corrupted and masked data input bits. Its version size varies between 1 and 11 according the stored data quantity. The wireless channel downloads a previous generated Reed-Solomon redundancy file to correct the QR Code retrieved information and decode the secret message. The QR Code information is meaningless when scanned by a standard QR Code reader. Compared to real-time retransmission data validation systems, the proposed scheme reduces the download data (channel 2) up to 50%.