Compile-Time Secret Translation for Secure Source Code
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle systems face vulnerabilities due to the exposure of sensitive information in source code, making them susceptible to data breaches and unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to translate dummy values in source code to secret values stored in a secure data store during compilation, ensuring that sensitive information is never exposed in the source code, and using a decentralized blockchain system for secure data management and authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secret values are stored directly in source code, then compilation is simple and straightforward, but sensitive information is exposed and vulnerable to data breaches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts secret values from the source code and stores them separately in a data store. During compilation, the system retrieves these secret values externally rather than having them embedded in the code, thereby preventing exposure while maintaining functionality. This separation resolves the contradiction by removing sensitive data from the vulnerable source code environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a translation mechanism as an intermediary between the source code containing dummy values and the actual secret values in the data store. This intermediary translation process allows the compilation system to access secret values without exposing them in the source code, thus enhancing security while managing complexity through a controlled translation layer.
2Reliability
If dummy values are used in source code instead of secret values, then source code is protected from exposure, but additional translation steps are required during compilation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the translation of dummy values to secret values as a preliminary action during the compilation process, before the actual software execution. By pre-translating and resolving all dummy values during compilation, the system avoids runtime overhead and minimizes time loss, while still maintaining source code protection through the use of dummy placeholders.
3Ease of operation
If centralized data management is used, then data access is simplified, but security vulnerabilities increase and decentralized authorization is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data management system into distributed data stores rather than a centralized repository. Each data store can be independently secured and accessed with appropriate authorization, combining the security benefits of decentralization with maintained operational simplicity through standardized access protocols. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by distributing data while preserving ease of access through consistent interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
An example operation includes one or more of receiving a request to compile a software application, identifying one or more dummy values which were previously stored in source code of the software application, translating the one or more dummy values into source code using one or more secret values stored in a data store, and compiling, via a device, the source code of the software application into binary code using the secret values.