gr-PHYSEC: Real-time Channel-based Key Generation for Physical Layer Secure Wireless Communications

Abstract

Securing wireless communication against eavesdropping is critical, particularly in dynamic and decentralized environments. We present gr-PHYSEC, a new GNU Radio out-of-tree (OOT) module for real-time physical-layer key generation. Unlike traditional key generation that relies on pre-shared secrets or computational complexity, our approach derives symmetric keys from the wireless channel's inherent randomness. We embed a trained neural network within GNU Radio to extract channel features between trusted parties (Alice and Bob) during probe exchanges. These features are quantized into binary keys, reconciled via Reed-Solomon encoding, and further secured with SHA-512 hashing. The generated keys are then directly used to encrypt data. Real-world experiments at the FAU CAAI connected robotics testbed using ADALM Pluto software-defined radios and NVIDIA Jetson Orin validate the approach with ground robotic platforms. Results demonstrate low key disagreement rates and strong randomness, as verified by the NIST test suite for random and pseudorandom number generators for cryptographic applications. This integration showcases how GNU Radio can support real-time AI-driven security solutions, pushing the boundaries of software-defined secure communication. The source code for this project is available at: https://github.com/C2A2-at-Florida-Atlantic-University/gr-PHYSEC