Mobile Subscriber Authentication via OTP SMS Interception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing two-factor authentication (2FA) methods, such as SMS-based and push notifications, are vulnerable to phishing and fraud, lacking robust security measures to ensure the authenticity of one-time passcodes (OTPs) and user verification.
Innovation Solution
A system intercepts SMS messages bearing OTPs, verifies their origin, and delivers encrypted push notifications to a mobile device's application, enhancing security by preventing delivery to messaging apps and requiring user authentication, while providing risk assessment information to service providers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If SMS-based two-factor authentication is used, then user verification is provided, but the system becomes vulnerable to phishing and fraud
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system between the SMS message and the user's messaging application. This intermediary intercepts OTP-containing SMS messages, verifies their authenticity through multiple checks (sender validation, format verification, blacklist checking), and only delivers them after confirming they are not phishing attempts. This mediator layer protects users from phishing while maintaining legitimate OTP delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification actions before delivering the OTP to the user. It validates the sender's authenticity, checks the message format, and screens against known phishing patterns before the user receives the OTP. This preliminary action prevents phishing messages from reaching users in the first place.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If push notification authentication is used, then phishing resistance is improved, but user verification complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal authentication system that handles multiple authentication methods (SMS-based OTP and push notification-based OTP) through a single intermediary platform. This multi-functional system can detect and handle both SMS messages and push notifications, validating both types while providing a unified security layer, thereby managing complexity centrally rather than requiring separate systems for each method.
3Reliability
If OTP delivery is intercepted and validated, then authentication security is enhanced, but message delivery time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements expedited validation procedures that skip unnecessary verification steps for messages that clearly pass initial checks. Valid OTP messages from known legitimate senders with correct formats are rapidly processed through the validation pipeline, minimizing interception delay. The system rushes through the validation process for legitimate messages while maintaining security checks.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device in a messaging core, that includes: a processing system including a processor; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations including receiving a short messaging system (SMS) message from an application-to-person (A2P) service to a mobile device of a subscriber; verifying an origin of the SMS message; identifying the SMS message as bearing a one-time passcode (OTP); preventing delivery of the SMS message to a messaging application on the mobile device; and delivering the SMS message to an application running on the mobile device. Other embodiments are disclosed.