Cloudflare shields IPsec from quantum downgrade attacks

Cloudflare is implementing a beta mitigation for downgrade attacks targeting IPsec, a core internet security protocol, in a move timed to coincide with Birthday Week. The company collaborated with the IETF to address a design flaw in IPsec that allows decryption of traffic between endpoints supporting post-quantum cryptography, Cloudflare says. This vulnerability requires a quantum computation during the protocol handshake, enabling attacks even if authentication methods are secure. “The PQ migration is well underway,” Cloudflare states, “and we’re helping the migration along.” Cloudflare has deployed beta support for a new mitigation against downgrade attacks targeting IPsec, a widely used internet security protocol, and is encouraging broader adoption through collaboration with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The company’s implementation, available in Cloudflare WAN and Magic Transit, requires customers to enable the flag through their account managers, marking a proactive step toward bolstering security in the face of evolving quantum computing threats, according to the company. This extension, formally known as…