SQR: Secure QR Transaction with Randomized Rotation

Shubhangi S. R. Garnaik, Youngho Kim, Jihoon Ryoo

Abstract: Since the start of the pandemic, the popularity of QR codes has increased more than ever before. QR codes have become more prominent in the retail sector as it provides a convenient mobile payment method. Despite its pros in usability, there have been concerns regarding the security of QR codes where users are prone to financial loss or their private information is compromised. In this study we address these issues by rotating the QR code at various random angles, where one can access the QR code only if three consecutive scanned random angles match with the random values present on the server. If the attacker tries to access or record the dynamically rotating QR codes, they will not be able to access the data encoded in the QR code until three consecutive random rotation angles match the random values on the server.