Framing Detection via Security Tags and Protection Lists
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques fail to effectively protect users from fraudulent web sites that embed legitimate pages within frames of fraudulent pages, allowing attackers to harvest sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
A security system that monitors network traffic, identifies framed pages, and checks them against a protection list or security tags to notify users if the framed page is not permitted to be displayed within a frame, preventing potential phishing attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a legitimate page is embedded within a frame of a fraudulent web page, then the fraudulent site can display dynamic content that cannot be copied, but the user's sensitive information can be harvested by the fraudulent site
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding a security tag to the legitimate web page before it is embedded in a frame. This security tag contains information about the page's origin and permissions, allowing the browser to verify the page's authenticity and detect framing attempts before information can be harvested. The security tag is embedded in the HTML code of the legitimate page, enabling proactive protection against phishing attacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a security tag as an intermediary element between the legitimate web page and the framing fraudulent site. This security tag acts as a mediator that carries authentication information and permissions, allowing the browser to verify whether the page should be framed. The security tag enables the browser to detect fraudulent framing attempts by checking the tag's information against the framing context.
2Reliability
If a security tag is added to a web page to prevent framing, then the page can be protected from fraudulent embedding, but the web page structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements the nested doll principle by embedding the security tag within the existing HTML structure of the web page. The security tag is nested as a hidden element or metadata tag within the page's HTML code, allowing it to carry protection information without disrupting the visible page structure. This nesting approach integrates the security mechanism seamlessly into the page's existing framework.
3Reliability
If the browser checks for security tags in framed pages, then fraudulent sites can be detected, but the network traffic processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing selective checking of security tags only in specific contexts where framing is suspected or where the security tag is present. The browser checks the security tag information when a frame is loaded and when framing permissions need to be verified, rather than continuously monitoring all network traffic. This selective checking approach reduces processing overhead while maintaining detection effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A parsing module identifies a framed page within a web page received from a network. The parsing module further identifies information regarding the frame such as the framed page's uniform resource locator. A lookup module accesses a memory module to determine if the identified information regarding the frame is included in a protection list stored in the memory module. A notification module notifies a client's user that the framing web page is fraudulent if the identified information regarding the frame is included in the protection list. Alternatively, the parsing module is adapted to identify a security tag within the framed page indicating that the framed page is not permitted to be displayed within a frame. If the framed page includes a security tag, the notification module notifies the client's user that the framing web page is fraudulent.