Sender Keys

In cryptography, Sender Keys is a key management protocol for end-to-end encryption used in instant messaging. In order to scale to large groups, the protocol takes advantages of server-side fan-out and avoids computing a shared group key.^[1][2][3] Sender Keys is used by group messaging applications including Signal, Matrix, WhatsApp, Session, and Facebook Messenger.^{[1][2][4][5][6][3]}

The algorithm relies upon secure pairwise communication channels between peers that provide confidentiality and authentication. For example, an Authenticated Key Exchange algorithm such as Extended Triple Diffie-Hellman (X3DH) may be combined with the Double Ratchet Algorithm to construct such a channel in practice, as is the case with Whatsapp.^[7][1]

Functioning

External videos
What's Up With Group Messaging? - Computerphile on YouTube, January 29, 2019 (video length: 10:49)

In Sender Keys, users within a group are assumed to maintain secure pairwise communication channels with each other user. Each user constructs a session that consists of a symmetric key and an asymmetric signing key pair; each user sends their session's symmetric key and the signing key pair's public key to each other user through the pairwise secure channels.^{[citation needed]}

To send a message, a user "ratchets" their symmetric key forward by applying a cryptographic hash function, encrypts their message with the newly hashed symmetric key, and constructs a digital signature protecting the encrypted message with the private signing key. The sender forwards the encrypted message to the server, who then fans it out to all receivers. Each receiver checks the signature with public signing key, hashes their symmetric key to match the sender, and decrypts the message.^{[citation needed]}

Users regenerate and re-transmit sessions periodically, or whenever a user leaves or joins the group.^[1][2][3]

Security properties

Security properties of Sender Keys include message confidentiality, message integrity, message authentication, forward secrecy, post-compromise security, scalability, and asynchronicity.^[5][6]

See also

• Comparison of instant messaging protocols
• Messaging Layer Security
• Signal Protocol

References

1. WhatsApp Encryption Overview – Technical white paper (PDF) (Report). 8. WhatsApp LLC. 19 August 2024. p. 40. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
2. Messenger End-to-End Encryption Overview (PDF) (Report). 1. Meta LLC. 6 December 2023. p. 25. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
3. Marlinspike, Moxie (5 May 2014). "Private Group Messaging". Retrieved 11 August 2025.
4. Jefferys, Kee (15 December 2020). "Session Protocol: Technical implementation details". Session Private Messenger Blog. Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
5. Balbas, David. WhatsUpp with Sender Keys? Analysis, Improvements and Security Proofs (PDF). AsiaCrypt 2023. Springer.
6. Albrecht, Martin. Device-Oriented Group Messaging: A Formal Cryptographic Analysis of Matrix' Core. 2024 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (SP). IEEE.
7. Albrecht, Martin. Formal Analysis of Multi-Device Group Messaging in WhatsApp (PDF). EuroCrypt 2025. Springer.

Textbook

• Oppliger, Rolf. "Signal and Messaging Layer Security". Artech House USA. ISBN 9781685690618. Retrieved 2025-08-17.