Automotive Transport-Layer Security Using Hardware Frame Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-vehicle networks face challenges in ensuring data integrity and security, particularly with the increasing susceptibility to malicious bus commands due to entertainment and vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity, which existing software stack-based security solutions cannot meet real-time requirements and are vulnerable to attacks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing authentication and encryption functions on the transport and network layers using dedicated hardware elements, such as Symmetric Authentication and Data Security Engines (SADSE), to authenticate and encrypt data frames, thereby offloading security functions from higher protocol layers and ensuring authenticity and confidentiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software stack-based security solutions are used, then security functionality is provided, but real-time requirements cannot be met and the system remains vulnerable to attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based security processing with hardware-based security engines (authentication engine and encryption engine) that operate at the data link layer. This substitution of mechanical/hardware systems for software systems provides both enhanced security reliability and real-time performance by leveraging the deterministic execution characteristics of hardware circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimensional approach by implementing security functions at the data link layer (Layer 2) rather than at higher protocol layers. This dimensional shift in the protocol stack enables security processing to occur closer to the physical transmission medium, reducing latency and enabling real-time security operations without interfering with upper-layer application logic.
2Reliability
If authentication and encryption are implemented at higher protocol layers, then security is provided, but interference with higher protocol layers occurs and real-time requirements are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security functions into dedicated hardware engines (authentication engine for MAC generation, encryption engine for cipher operations) that operate independently at the data link layer. This segmentation isolates security processing from higher protocol layers, preventing interference while maintaining comprehensive security coverage for all data transmissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces data link layer security engines as intermediary components between the physical layer and network layer. These intermediary hardware engines handle all authentication and encryption operations, mediating security requirements without requiring higher protocol layers to be modified or involved in security processing.
3Productivity
If security functions are offloaded to dedicated hardware elements, then speed and security are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple security functions (authentication via message authentication codes and encryption via cipher operations) into integrated hardware security engines at the data link layer. By combining these functions in unified hardware blocks rather than separate distributed components, the patent achieves high processing speed while controlling overall device complexity through functional integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A sender configured to participate in an in-vehicle network is configured to receive a request for transmitting a payload and generate, in response, a first header in a transport layer and/or a network layer. The sender is further configured to access a key of k bytes length and to generate an authentication tag using the key and at least the first header as additional authentication data. The authentication tag serves to indicate an authenticity of a first frame on the transport and/or network layer as an original frame sent from the sender to a receiver. The sender is configured to generate the first frame comprising the first header, a transport layer payload, and the authentication tag and forward the first frame to the data link layer. The data link layer generates a second frame on the data link layer and transmits the second frame to the in-vehicle network.