Blockchain Data Verification Using Trusted Execution Environment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing blockchain technologies face challenges in safely and reliably verifying data authenticity, as data uploaded to a blockchain cannot be easily confirmed as real and tampered with.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus utilizing a trusted execution environment (TEE) to acquire and verify data from a blockchain, involving data acquisition, benchmark data retrieval from third-party authorities, and secure data transfer for processing within the TEE to determine if the data meets predefined verification rules.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data is uploaded to a blockchain for deposition to ensure integrity and prevent tampering, then data integrity is improved, but the ability to verify whether the uploaded data is real and reliable deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoiddata verification difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by generating a digital fingerprint (hash value) of the original data before uploading it to the blockchain. This fingerprint serves as a verification marker that can be compared later against data retrieved from the blockchain, enabling verification without exposing the actual data content. The fingerprint is created in advance and stored alongside the data hash on the blockchain, establishing a baseline for future verification operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a trusted execution environment (TEE) as an intermediary to perform verification operations. The TEE acts as a secure mediator that can compare the digital fingerprint of original data with the hash value stored on the blockchain without exposing sensitive data. This intermediary layer enables verification while maintaining data confidentiality and security, resolving the contradiction between verification capability and data protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If data is made immutable on the blockchain to prevent repudiation, then data authenticity is improved, but the ability to safely and reliably verify the data deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata authenticityVSAvoidverification operation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the verification function from the main data storage system by separating the digital fingerprint generation and comparison operations from the blockchain itself. The verification process is extracted and performed in a trusted execution environment, allowing the immutable blockchain to maintain its authenticity while the verification operation is handled in a secure, controlled environment. This extraction enables safe verification without compromising the immutability that ensures authenticity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If verification operations are performed outside a trusted execution environment, then operational simplicity is improved, but security and reliability of verification results deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveverification operation simplicityVSAvoidverification result reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements nesting by placing the verification operations within a trusted execution environment that is nested within the overall system architecture. The TEE creates a secure nested layer where verification operations can be performed with guaranteed integrity. This nested structure maintains operational simplicity from the user perspective while ensuring high reliability through the secure nested verification environment, as the TEE protects against tampering and ensures verification results are trustworthy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3945695B1Method, apparatus, and device for processing blockchain data
Publication Date: 2023.04.19 ALIPAY (HANGZHOU) INFORMATION TECH CO LTD
  • EP3945695B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3945695B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3945695B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method, an apparatus, and a device for processing blockchain data are disclosed in embodiments of the present specification. The method is applied to a terminal device provided with a trusted execution environment (TEE), including: acquiring data to be verified of a target service from a blockchain, the data to be verified including circulation data generated during execution of the target service and recorded in the blockchain; determining, based on the target service, a relevant third-party authority for verifying authenticity of the data to be verified, and acquiring benchmark circulation data generated during the execution of the target service and recorded in the third-party authority; transferring the data to be verified and the benchmark circulation data to the TEE through a first trusted application on the terminal device, wherein the TEE is provided with a verification rule for performing data verification on the data to be verified; and determining whether the data to be verified meets the verification rule by using the trusted execution environment and based on the circulation data in the data to be verified and the benchmark circulation data, and outputting a verification result of the data to be verified.