Error-Corrected Data Stream Steganography Against Traffic Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication methods are vulnerable to targeted attacks as attackers can distinguish between primary and confidential data streams, either by size differences or by observing traffic patterns, leading to potential decryption of confidential messages.
Innovation Solution
The system introduces bit-faults into the data stream using an error correction scheme, allowing confidential data to be surreptitiously injected into the primary data stream, making it difficult for attackers to differentiate and intercept the confidential data by converting bits of the confidential data into corresponding positions in the data stream, thereby creating bit-faulted data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If confidential data is transmitted as a separate encrypted stream, then encryption security is maintained, but attackers can easily distinguish and target the confidential data stream
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines confidential data with primary data into a single encrypted stream, making it impossible for attackers to distinguish between the two. The encoder merges confidential bits with primary data bits using bitwise operations, creating a unified ciphertext that maintains encryption security while eliminating separate identifiable confidential data streams
Solution Approach 2:
The encrypted stream serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects both primary data and confidential data with the same encryption layer, and the same decryption key retrieves both types of information. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate encryption streams while maintaining security
2Object-affected harmful factors
If confidential data is merged with primary data in the same encrypted stream, then targeted attacks are prevented, but attackers can detect message size differences to identify confidential messages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using fixed-size buffering where confidential data is embedded within a predetermined buffer size of primary data. This ensures that every transmitted message maintains a consistent size characteristic, preventing attackers from detecting confidential messages through size analysis while still allowing selective embedding of confidential information in specific buffer locations
3Reliability
If error correction scheme is applied to data stream, then data integrity is improved, but confidential data injection becomes more detectable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges confidential data injection with the error correction encoding process itself. By embedding confidential bits into the data before error correction encoding, and using the encoding process to mask the injection, the system maintains data integrity through error correction while the confidential data remains hidden within the encoded stream
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system to surreptitiously inject data into a data stream over a communication channel including an error correction encoder circuit to apply an error correction scheme to a data stream to create an unfaulted data, a binary to bit value positioner that converts bits in confidential data to corresponding position value of bits in a packet, and a data stream encoder that flips a bit in the unfaulted data based on the binary to bit value positioner to create a bit-faulted data.