Encrypted Traffic Inspection via Binary Trust Anchor Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing break-and-inspect computer security systems require pre-installed digital certificates on host computers, limiting their ability to intercept and inspect encrypted network traffic generated by entities that do not participate in known Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) schemes.
Innovation Solution
Intercept and replace trust anchors in encrypted network traffic, such as digital certificates or public keys, with replacement anchors, storing the originals and using them to establish proxy communication channels for inspection and decryption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pre-deployed digital certificates are manually installed via local group policies, then existing break-and-inspect systems can intercept and inspect encrypted network traffic, but the system complexity and deployment overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the trust anchor (digital certificate) from the traditional PKI infrastructure and embeds it directly within the binary file itself. This eliminates the need for separate certificate deployment mechanisms and local group policy configurations, significantly reducing deployment complexity while maintaining the ability to intercept and inspect encrypted traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the trust anchor with the binary file, combining what were previously separate components (certificate authority infrastructure and application software) into a single self-contained unit. This integration eliminates the need for separate certificate installation steps and reduces overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If pre-deployed digital certificates are manually installed, then encrypted network traffic can be inspected, but the ease of operation decreases due to manual intervention requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the manual certificate deployment step by embedding the trust anchor within the binary file. The trust anchor is automatically extracted and used during execution, eliminating the need for manual intervention in certificate installation while maintaining traffic inspection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The binary file becomes self-sufficient by containing its own trust anchor. The system performs self-service by automatically using the embedded trust anchor for certificate validation without requiring external certificate authority infrastructure or manual configuration, significantly improving ease of operation.
3Reliability
If traditional PKI schemes are used, then legitimate encrypted communications can be authenticated, but the adaptability decreases when dealing with entities outside known PKI schemes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal solution that works for both traditional PKI schemes and entities outside known PKI infrastructure. By embedding the trust anchor within the binary file, the system can authenticate any entity that provides a valid certificate, regardless of whether it belongs to a known certificate authority, thereby achieving multi-functionality and improved adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded trust anchor acts as an intermediary between the binary file and the certificate validation process. It mediates the authentication by providing a local reference point that can validate certificates from any entity, including those outside traditional PKI schemes, without requiring external certificate authority involvement.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for inspecting encrypted network communications are presented. The techniques include: intercepting a binary file sent from a resource server to a host computer, where the binary file is configured to facilitate communications between the host computer and a remote server computer; identifying a trust anchor, where the trust anchor is configured to authenticate the remote server computer; replacing the trust anchor in the binary file with a replacement trust anchor, to produce an altered binary file; storing the trust anchor in association with the replacement trust anchor, an identifier of the binary file, and an identifier of the host computer; and passing the altered binary file to the host computer, where the host computer receives the altered binary file instead of the binary file, and where the replacement trust anchor is usable by the host computer to authenticate information in a communication sent by the remote server computer.