Browser Cookie Attestation for Tamper-Resistant Request Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing browser cookie systems lack secure communication channels to prevent fraudulent manipulation and tracking of user data, especially in the context of first-party and third-party cookies, leading to potential data breaches and privacy violations.

Innovation Solution

Implementing attestation tokens with digital signatures and encrypted cookie elements to verify the integrity of requests, ensuring that data is not tampered with and maintaining user privacy by using ephemeral public keys and token creation times to establish secure communication channels between web browsers and other entities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If browser cookies are used for storing user data and browsing activity, then user data can be tracked and managed across sessions, but communication channels become vulnerable to fraudulent manipulation and data breaches

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity of cookie managementVSAvoidfraudulent manipulation and tracking

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by generating attestation tokens with digital signatures before cookie operations. The server creates signed tokens that bind the cookie to specific user agents and sessions, preventing fraudulent manipulation by verifying the signature before allowing any cookie access or modification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces attestation tokens as an intermediary between the browser and server for cookie management. These tokens serve as mediators that carry cryptographic proofs (signatures) to verify the legitimacy of cookie operations, blocking fraudulent access without requiring direct trust between browser and server

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If third-party cookies are implemented for cross-domain tracking, then user browsing activity can be monitored across multiple domains, but privacy violations and data security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecross-domain cookie functionalityVSAvoiduser privacy protection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by making cookie access rights domain-specific and user-agent-specific through signed tokens. Each token is tailored to a specific third-party domain and user agent combination, allowing cross-domain functionality only where explicitly authorized rather than universally

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the server verifies attestation tokens and provides responses that confirm or deny cookie access. This feedback loop ensures that only legitimate third-party requests with valid cryptographic proofs can access cookies, preventing unauthorized privacy violations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If cookies are made accessible for authentication and state management, then web applications can maintain user sessions, but the risk of data tampering and unauthorized access increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession management capabilityVSAvoidintegrity of cookie data

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary binding of cookies to user agents and sessions through signed attestation tokens before the cookies are used for authentication. This preliminary cryptographic binding ensures that cookies cannot be tampered with or used in unauthorized contexts while maintaining seamless session management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs short-lived attestation tokens with embedded signatures that are validated and consumed for each cookie operation. These disposable cryptographic proofs provide strong integrity protection without requiring long-term storage or management of sensitive authentication data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS12445455B2Securing browser cookies

Publication Date: 2025.10.14 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including an apparatus for verifying the integrity of requests. In some aspects, a method includes receiving, from an application, a request including an attestation token of the application. The attestation token includes a set of data that includes at least a public key of the application and a token creation time that indicates a time at which the attestation token was created. The attestation also includes a signature of the set of data. The signature is generated using a private key that corresponds to the public key. The integrity of the request is verified using the attestation token. The verification includes determining that the integrity of the request is valid based on a determination that the token creation time is within a threshold duration of the time at which the request was received and a determination that the set of data has not been.