Media Payload Encoding Security via Extraction and Nesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods inadequately protect media data, particularly data encoded using psychoacoustic masking, from reverse engineering and unauthorized access, as they lack effective mechanisms to secure the underlying information and algorithmic components in untrusted computing environments.
Innovation Solution
A system that generates a media license file to protect encoded data by hiding underlying information through encryption, using a shared library with a minimum information set required for encoding, and employing a partial decoder for pattern matching to verify the encoding presence, thereby preventing complete symbol/bin information exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encryption and obfuscation techniques are applied to protect data files, then security against reverse engineering is improved, but the underlying information and algorithmic components remain vulnerable in untrusted computing environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the core algorithmic components and underlying information from the executable code, storing them separately as encoded data. The runtime environment only contains encoded representations, not the actual algorithm logic, thereby removing the vulnerability of having sensitive information embedded in the code.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where encoded data is embedded within the runtime environment, which itself is nested within the executable code. This multi-layered nesting ensures that even if outer layers are compromised, the core algorithmic information remains protected through successive encoding layers.
2Ease of operation
If complete symbol/bin information is stored in software code, then decoding functionality is ensured, but reverse engineering becomes easier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complete symbol/bin information into multiple encoded components distributed throughout the code. No single segment contains sufficient information for reverse engineering, but all segments together enable legitimate decoding functionality when processed by the protected runtime environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the complete symbol/bin information into encoded representations with altered parameters. The encoded data maintains the necessary structure for decoding while changing the form sufficiently to prevent direct analysis and reverse engineering of the original information.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If encoding algorithms are permanently stored in executable code, then encoding functionality is maintained, but the algorithm becomes exposed to hackers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the encoding algorithm from the permanent executable code storage and implements it as a protected runtime process. The algorithm exists temporarily in memory during execution but is not permanently stored in a form that hackers can analyze, thus maintaining functionality while reducing exposure risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements the encoding algorithm as a dynamic runtime process rather than static code. The algorithm is loaded, executed, and then cleared from memory, creating a transient presence that provides encoding functionality when needed while minimizing the window of opportunity for reverse engineering attacks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly enhances security by preventing reverse engineering and unauthorized access, as the encoding algorithm and payload are not permanently stored, and only partial symbol/bin information is needed for decoding, making it difficult for hackers to recover the actual algorithm.
Implementation Method 1
Recent successful techniques exploit the psychoacoustic masking effect of the human auditory system whereby certain sounds are humanly imperceptible when received along with other sounds.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods and apparatuses are disclosed for protecting encoded media data. A minimum set of information needed to encode a single message for an encoded audio signal is loaded separately from the media data into an encoder. A media license file is generated to protect the encoded data, where the underlying information relevant to the media data may be hidden through encryption or other means in order to foster security. The algorithm(s) for encoding may be provided using a shared library, combined with an encoding payload that provides the minimum information set required to form the single message. A partial decoder may apply pattern matching information in the encoded payload in order to confirm that the encoding is actually present and is proper. Accordingly, the payload must be successfully decoded and verified before the underlying data may be decoded.