Context-Bound Shared Secret Generation for Secure Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secure communication systems are vulnerable to misuse of derived secrets, as third parties without economic or ethical motivation may reveal and exploit temporary shared secrets, compromising confidentiality and trust relationships.
Innovation Solution
A communication system generates a shared secret from a master secret and contextual information, allowing each entity to self-generate or receive the secret from a trusted third party, using pseudo-random functions like HMAC or SHA-1, to establish a trust relationship for secure communications, with mechanisms to protect the shared secret from unauthorized duplication and misuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a temporary secret is derived from a master secret using prearranged algorithms, then the likelihood of master secret revelation is curtailed, but the system remains vulnerable to rogue parties who can misuse the derived secret without economic or ethical constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the secret generation process by introducing contextual information as a separate component from the master secret. The shared secret is generated as a function of both the master secret and context-specific data, so that even if the master secret is compromised, the contextual information required to generate the shared secret remains separate and can be controlled or invalidated independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of secret generation by incorporating contextual information (such as location, time, device identifiers) into the derivation process. This transforms the shared secret from a static value derived solely from the master secret into a dynamic value that depends on both the master secret and contextual parameters, making it useless to rogue parties who cannot replicate the exact context.
2Reliability
If a shared secret is used for establishing trust relationships in secure communications, then confidentiality is maintained among authorized parties, but the secret can be revealed and exploited by third parties without motivation to preserve its confidentiality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by binding the shared secret to contextual information that is specific to each communication session or transaction. This contextual binding is established in advance as part of the secret derivation process, so that any attempt to reuse or transfer the secret to another context will fail, preventing exploitation by third parties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces contextual information as an intermediary element between the master secret and the shared secret. This intermediary layer ensures that the shared secret cannot be directly derived or transferred without the specific contextual data, creating a protective barrier against unauthorized reuse or revelation.
3Productivity
If derived secrets are passed to service providers for cryptographic communications, then secure service delivery is enabled, but additional sensitive information can be revealed through illegitimate access by rogue service providers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication and communication processes by deriving session-specific shared secrets that are tied to contextual information unique to each service transaction. This segmentation ensures that even if a rogue service provider obtains one shared secret, they cannot use it to access other services or communicate outside the specific contextual bounds for which it was derived.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamics into the secret system by making shared secrets context-dependent and potentially time-limited. The contextual information can include temporal elements, ensuring that the shared secret is valid only for specific communication sessions or time windows, thereby limiting the opportunity for illegitimate access and information revelation.
Data Source
AI summary
In a communication system in which two communication entities seek to have a private or confidential communication session, a trust relationship needs first be established. The trust relationship is based on the determination of a shared secret which in turn is generated from contextual information. The contextual information can be derived from the circumstances surrounding the communication session. For example, the contextual information can include topological information, time-based information, and transactional information. The shared secret may be self-generated or received from a third party. In either event, the shared secret may be used as key material for any cryptographic protocol used between the communication entities.