Attribute-based signature (ABS) allows a signer whose attribute set satisfies a given signing policy to endorse a message. The verifier checks whether the signature was generated by a signer whose attributes match the signing policy, enabling flexible anonymous authentication in Internet of Things environments. However, existing ABS schemes face challenges such as high computational overhead, signature misuse, key exposure, and the presence of a central attribute authority. To address these issues, we propose an efficient, forward-secure, and traceable decentralized attribute-based signature (EFSTD-ABS) scheme. We prove its forward security under the computational Diffie-Hellman assumption in the random oracle model. Our scheme achieves low computational overhead by employing only modular exponentiations for signing, mitigates the impact of key exposure, and enables the trust authority to trace the signer’s real identity in cases of abusive behavior. Experimental results demonstrate that the EFSTD-ABS scheme is efficient in terms of computational overhead.