Mobile Terminal Network Configuration Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile terminals in wireless environments cannot verify the legitimacy of IP address configuration messages, leading to potential attacks such as rogue RA attacks and misconfiguration, due to the inability to authenticate DHCP and router messages, and SSID trustworthiness issues.
Innovation Solution
A method where a mobile terminal accesses a trusted network registry, such as Hotspot 2.0, to download verified certificates for network entities, allowing it to verify the legitimacy of configuration messages by checking for digital signatures corresponding to these certificates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile terminals receive IP configuration messages from any network source, then network connectivity is established quickly, but security is compromised due to inability to verify message legitimacy
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining certificates from network entities before receiving configuration messages. The mobile terminal stores certificates in advance and uses them to verify the legitimacy of subsequent configuration messages, ensuring security before connectivity is established.
Solution Approach 2:
Certificates act as an intermediary mechanism between the mobile terminal and network entities. Instead of directly verifying message sources, the terminal uses certificates as a trusted intermediary to authenticate the legitimacy of configuration messages, simplifying the verification process while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If mobile terminals verify all configuration messages using certificates, then security is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Certificate verification is performed as a preliminary action before processing configuration messages. By obtaining and storing certificates in advance, the system prepares verification credentials beforehand, enabling faster authentication when configuration messages are received without adding significant processing delay.
3Adaptability or versatility
If mobile terminals connect to any available network, then network accessibility is maximized, but trustworthiness of access networks cannot be determined
Solution Approach 1:
Certificates serve as a trusted intermediary that enables the mobile terminal to distinguish between trustworthy and untrustworthy networks. The terminal uses these certificates to verify network identity, maintaining high adaptability by allowing connections while ensuring reliability through certificate-based authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by proactively obtaining certificates from network entities before establishing connections. This preventive measure allows the terminal to reject untrustworthy networks in advance, blocking potential attacks before they can compromise the device.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for verifying an access network using for example a trusted protocol such as Hotspot 2.0. In this regard, a method is provided that includes causing at least one available network to be detected. The method may further include determining a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the at least one detected available network. The method may further include causing a registry entry to be accessed in a registry that corresponds to the determined FQDN, wherein the registry entry comprises at least one certificate for at least one network entity. The method may further include verifying received configuration information from the connected network, wherein verification comprises determining whether the received configuration information is signed with a digital certificate that corresponds to the at least one certificate in the accessed registry entry.