Secure WiFi Direct Device Discovery Using Hashed User Identifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing social WiFi technologies face security issues due to the broadcast of user identifier information in plaintext, leading to privacy leakage and potential spoofing attacks during device discovery in WiFi Direct networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and user equipment implementation that uses implicit user identifier information processed through hash functions or public-private key algorithms to securely discover other devices, ensuring the security of user identifier information by using encrypted or hashed identifiers for communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If user identifier information is broadcast in plaintext for device discovery, then device discovery functionality is achieved, but security of user identifier information deteriorates leading to privacy leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the user identifier from plaintext form to encrypted or hashed form before broadcasting. This parameter change in the identifier's state allows device discovery to proceed while preventing unauthorized parties from reading the actual user identifier, thus resolving the contradiction between discovery functionality and security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary transformation process (encryption or hashing) between the original user identifier and the broadcast identifier. This intermediary mechanism ensures that the broadcast identifier cannot be directly reverse-engineered to reveal the original user identifier, maintaining security while enabling discovery
2Measurement precision
If plaintext user identifiers are used for device discovery, then identification accuracy is maintained, but vulnerability to spoofing attacks increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the parameter of the identifier from plaintext to encrypted/hashed form, the system maintains identification accuracy through the one-way nature of hashing or the key-based verification of encryption, while simultaneously protecting against spoofing attacks that rely on reading and replicating plaintext identifiers
3Reliability
If encrypted or hashed identifiers are used for device discovery, then security of user identifier information is improved, but complexity of the discovery process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing the encrypted or hashed version of the user identifier before the device discovery process begins. This pre-processing step stores the transformed identifier in the device, eliminating the need for complex real-time encryption during discovery and reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A method and user equipment for discovering a device user to improve security of user identifier information, so that user equipment discover each other securely. The method includes receiving a first message that is sent by a second user equipment and at least includes implicit user identifier information of the second user equipment, obtaining, according to correspondences stored in a first user equipment, a user identifier corresponding to the implicit user identifier information of the second user equipment; and determining, in the user identifier corresponding to the implicit user identifier information of the second user equipment, a user identifier of the second user equipment, to discover a user of the second user equipment. The present disclosure is applicable to the field of communications.