Contextual Digital Fingerprinting Against Browser-Based Attacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sophisticated malicious attacks, such as phishing, can bypass traditional security protections like browser fingerprinting and two-factor authentication by replicating a victim's digital fingerprint, posing a risk to sensitive information on websites and mobile applications.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing contextual digital fingerprints by detecting and generating specific values for fingerprinting API calls, storing these fingerprints for consecutive accesses, and performing security actions based on identity data to protect against browser-based malicious attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional browser fingerprinting is used for security verification, then user identity can be confirmed, but malicious actors can replicate the fingerprint to bypass security protections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static browser fingerprinting into a dynamic process by continuously generating new fingerprint values during each authentication attempt. The system uses JavaScript code injection to modify fingerprinting API responses in real-time, making the fingerprint adaptable and resistant to replication attacks while maintaining reliable security verification
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of fingerprinting by injecting JavaScript code that modifies the values returned by fingerprinting APIs. This alters the fingerprint data dynamically during authentication, preventing malicious actors from using stolen static fingerprints while maintaining security reliability
2Reliability
If browser extensions block digital fingerprinting creation, then security is improved, but legitimate website access requiring fingerprint verification is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a browser extension as an intermediary layer between the website and the fingerprinting process. This extension selectively intercepts and modifies fingerprinting API calls, blocking malicious fingerprinting while allowing legitimate websites to access necessary fingerprint data for authentication, thus resolving the contradiction between security and accessibility
3Object-affected harmful factors
If browser extensions randomly modify fingerprint generation, then fingerprint replication is prevented, but consistent identity verification across consecutive accesses is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by injecting JavaScript code into the browser environment before the actual fingerprinting process occurs. This pre-positioned code intercepts fingerprinting API calls and applies controlled modifications that prevent replication while maintaining consistency for legitimate authentication, resolving the contradiction between preventing harm and maintaining stability
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for utilizing contextual digital fingerprints to protect against browser-based malicious attacks may include (i) detecting an execution of one or more fingerprinting application programming interface (API) calls utilized by a target website for providing access to a user, (ii) generating identity data comprising specific values for each of the fingerprinting API calls to create a contextual digital fingerprint, (iii) storing the contextual digital fingerprint for consecutive accesses to the target website, and (iv) performing a security action that, based on the identity data in the contextual digital fingerprint, protects against browser-based malicious attacks attempting to access the target website. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.