NFC Message Scanning for Malicious Payload Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing NFC technologies do not effectively detect potentially malicious content within NFC messages before launching the payload, potentially allowing harmful content to execute on mobile devices.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that identifies NFC messages, determines suspicious formats, scans for malicious content, and performs security actions to prevent execution, including malware and phishing detection, and user notification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If NFC messages are automatically launched without scanning, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential malicious content execution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic launch of NFC messagesVSAvoidsecurity against malicious content

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary scanning of NFC messages to detect malicious content before the message is launched. The scanner examines the payload of received NFC messages for suspicious format types and malicious content, and only allows execution after confirmation that the message is safe, thus preventing security issues before they occur

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary scanning mechanism between NFC message reception and execution. The scanner acts as a mediator that intercepts incoming NFC messages, analyzes their payloads for malicious content, and determines whether to permit or block execution, thereby resolving the conflict between ease of operation and security reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If NFC messages are scanned for malicious content before launch, then the reliability is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to additional scanning time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity detection accuracyVSAvoidmessage processing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial scanning by focusing only on critical aspects of NFC messages - specifically examining the payload for suspicious format types and known malicious content patterns. This selective approach detects threats effectively while minimizing the time required compared to comprehensive full-message analysis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The scanner rapidly processes NFC messages by quickly identifying and analyzing only the payload section for malicious content, rather than performing exhaustive inspection of the entire message structure. This rushed-through approach maintains security detection capability while reducing overall scanning time to preserve productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Data Source

PatentUS8683595B1Systems and methods for detecting potentially malicious content within near field communication messages

Publication Date: 2014.03.25 CA TECH INC

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for detecting potentially malicious content within NFC messages may include identifying an NFC message received by a mobile device via wireless transmission from an NFC device located in proximity of the mobile device. The method may also include determining that the NFC message is formatted in a suspicious format type capable of importing potentially malicious content into the mobile device and then scanning the NFC message for potentially malicious content in response to the determination. The method may further include detecting at least one instance of potentially malicious content while scanning the NFC message. In addition, the method may include performing at least one security action on the mobile device in response to the detection of the instance of potentially malicious content within the NFC message. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.