Exploring QUIC Security and Privacy: A Comprehensive Survey on QUIC Security and Privacy Vulnerabilities, Threats, Attacks, and Future Research Directions

Abstract

QUIC is a modern transport protocol aiming to improve Web connection performance and security. It is the transport layer for HTTP/3. QUIC offers numerous advantages over traditional transport layer protocols, such as TCP and UDP, including reduced latency, improved congestion control, connection migration and encryption by default. However, these benefits introduce new security and privacy challenges that need to be addressed, as cyber attackers can exploit weaknesses in the protocol. QUIC’s security and privacy issues have been largely unexplored, as existing research on QUIC primarily focuses on performance upgrades. This survey paper addresses the knowledge gap in QUIC’s security and privacy challenges while proposing directions for future research to enhance its security and privacy. Our comprehensive analysis covers QUIC’s history, architecture, core mechanisms (such as cryptographic design and handshaking process), security model, and threat landscape. We examine QUIC’s significant vulnerabilities, critical security and privacy attacks, emerging threats, advanced security and privacy challenges, and mitigation strategies. Furthermore, we outline future research directions to improve QUIC’s security and privacy. By exploring the protocol’s security and privacy implications, this paper informs decision-making processes and enhances online safety for users and professionals. Our research identifies key risks, vulnerabilities, threats, and attacks targeting QUIC, providing actionable insights to strengthen the protocol. Through this comprehensive analysis, we contribute to developing and deploying a faster, more secure next-generation Internet infrastructure. We hope this investigation serves as a foundation for future Internet security and privacy innovations, ensuring robust protection for modern digital communications.