CAN Transceiver Secure Update via Disposable Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The CAN system, originally designed without security considerations, is now exposed to external access, posing security and safety risks, and existing cryptographic solutions are resource-intensive and not feasible due to bandwidth and processing limitations, necessitating a secure update mechanism for rules sets without complex cryptography.
Innovation Solution
A two-step authentication process using a trusted node to verify updates, where the authentication code is not stored and can only be used during the second step, requiring an attacker to compromise two nodes, and utilizing a cyclic redundancy check for verification without complex cryptography.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cryptographic algorithms are used for authentication and integrity verification, then security protection is improved, but processing time and storage requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a disposable authentication code that is generated for each update transaction and discarded after use. This eliminates the need for complex cryptographic key management and long-term storage of sensitive authentication data, significantly reducing processing time and storage requirements while maintaining security. The authentication code is transmitted in clear text but can only be used once, making it effectively secure without requiring heavy cryptography.
2Reliability
If cryptographic algorithms are used for authentication and integrity verification, then security protection is improved, but storage requirements increase due to extensive use of non-volatile storage
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication code is treated as a disposable object that is generated, transmitted, and discarded in a single transaction cycle. It does not require persistent storage in non-volatile memory, unlike cryptographic keys that must be stored securely for repeated use. This dramatically reduces the storage burden on the transceiver while maintaining authentication security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the authentication function from the transceiver itself and relocates it to an external authentication server. The transceiver only needs to store minimal configuration data, while the complex authentication logic and credential storage are performed externally. This extraction reduces the storage requirements of the transceiver while maintaining strong security through server-side credential management.
3Reliability
If secure transceivers implement message killing and filtering rules, then security against rogue attacks is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication server that handles the complex security logic externally. Instead of embedding complex authentication and credential verification logic within each transceiver, the system uses an intermediary service that performs these functions centrally. This reduces device complexity while maintaining strong security through centralized credential management and authentication decision-making.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for providing an authenticated update in a distributed network is provided. The distributed network has a plurality of nodes coupled to a serial bus. The method begins with transmitting a credential from an external device to a first node. The update data and an authentication code are provided to a processor of a second node from the external device. The processor of the second node provides the update data and the authentication code to the transceiver of the second node. The authenticated update is finalized by the processor of the second node. The authenticated update is closed by the transceiver of the first node. The credential of the authenticated update is provided to the transceiver of the second node. The transceiver of the second node verifies the update data using the credential and the authentication code. After being verified, the authenticated update data is stored.