Markup Element Resource Integrity Verification via Embedded Hash
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for verifying the content of resources referenced in markup language documents are inadequate, as they rely on users to manually compare hashes, leaving them vulnerable to errors or malicious substitutions of resources.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a characteristic, such as a hash, of the resource content into the markup element, allowing user agents to verify the integrity of the resource upon retrieval by comparing it with the stored characteristic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the user manually compares hashes to verify resource integrity, then the verification process can be performed, but the process is error-prone and places burden on the user
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-verification by automatically comparing the retrieved resource's hash with the stored hash in the markup element, eliminating the need for manual user comparison and reducing operational burden while maintaining verification reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic feedback mechanisms where the user agent retrieves the resource, computes its hash, compares it with the stored hash, and alerts the user only when verification fails, creating a closed-loop verification process that improves both reliability and ease of operation
2Stability of the object's composition
If the resource is replaced on the remote server with the same filename, then the markup element remains valid, but the resource content becomes corrupted or malicious
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification by storing the hash of the original resource content in the markup element during authoring, enabling automatic detection of any subsequent content changes or replacements even when the filename remains unchanged
Solution Approach 2:
The hash value serves as an intermediary verification mechanism that bridges the markup element and the actual resource content, allowing the system to detect content changes without requiring direct comparison of the resource files themselves
3Measurement precision
If the user downloads the hash from the main website and computes it locally, then the verification can be performed, but the process is time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The hash value is pre-computed and embedded in the markup element during document authoring, eliminating the need for users to download and compute hashes separately, thus reducing verification time while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The verification data (hash) is merged directly into the markup element structure, combining the resource reference and its verification information into a single integrated unit that can be processed automatically without separate download and comparison steps
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for verifying content of a resource. A first computer creates, in a markup language document, a markup element including a resource indicator and a first characteristic of the content of the resource stored at a second computer. The first characteristic includes a hash of the content of the resource referenced by the resource indicator. The first characteristic is extracted from the markup element in the markup language document. The resource is retrieved from the second computer according to a resource indicator that references the resource. A second characteristic of the content of the retrieved resource is generated. The second characteristic includes a hash of the content of the retrieved resource. The second characteristic is ascertained to be identical to the first characteristic. The created markup element includes a first attribute-value pair and a second attribute-value pair within distinct non-overlapping portions of the markup element.