Obfuscated Program Logic for Privacy-Preserving Attribute-Based Credentials

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing credential systems lack effective methods for generating and handling privacy-preserving attribute-based credentials, particularly in ensuring privacy and security while allowing for attribute verification without disclosing unnecessary information.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method using obfuscated program logic with a hardcoded cryptographic signing key and attribute values, which generates a presentation token that certifies the authenticity of responses to requests, ensuring privacy by not revealing more information than necessary and allowing for secure attribute verification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional credential systems are used to verify attributes, then attribute verification can be performed, but privacy is compromised as more information than necessary is disclosed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattribute verification reliabilityVSAvoidprivacy information loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary attribute information required for verification from the complete credential data, discarding unnecessary information. The system verifies attributes by checking proofs without exposing the actual attribute values, thus extracting only the essential verification result while preserving privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The credential system is segmented into separate components: the credential holder's private attributes, the verification logic, and the proof generation mechanism. This segmentation allows verification to occur without revealing the underlying attribute data, separating the verification function from the sensitive information storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If credential information is made transparent for verification, then verification accuracy improves, but security and anonymity are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveverification accuracyVSAvoidsecurity and anonymity risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces cryptographic proofs as an intermediary mechanism between the credential holder and verifier. Instead of direct exposure of attribute values, the system uses mathematical proofs (such as zero-knowledge proofs) that verify attribute validity without revealing the actual values, thus maintaining verification accuracy while protecting security and anonymity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If presentation token generation is simplified, then processing efficiency increases, but traceability and revocation capabilities are weakened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetoken generation efficiencyVSAvoidrevocation and traceability reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates revocation handles and traceability identifiers into the presentation tokens during the initial generation phase. This preliminary inclusion of metadata allows the system to maintain efficient verification processes while enabling subsequent revocation and traceability operations without requiring complex additional processing steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If cryptographic keys are hardcoded in program logic, then credential authenticity is strengthened, but program security is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecredential authenticityVSAvoidprogram logic complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cryptographic signing key with the program logic into a single obfuscated unit. By combining these elements and applying obfuscation, the system maintains credential authenticity through the embedded key while protecting it from extraction or misuse, as the key cannot be separated or reverse-engineered from the obfuscated program logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10079686B2Privacy-preserving attribute-based credentials

Publication Date: 2018.09.18 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

The invention relates to an obfuscated program logic of machine executable instructions and a hardcoded cryptographic signing key. The obfuscated program logic further comprising a hardcoded first attribute value wherein execution of the machine executable instructions by the processor causes the obfuscated program logic to receive a request and in response to receiving the request evaluate whether the request is related to the hardcoded first attribute value. In case the request is related to the hardcoded first attribute value, then computing with the hardcoded first attribute value a response to the request and computing with the cryptographic signing key a signature, wherein the signature certifies the request for which the response was computed and certifies the authenticity of the response. Then generating and returning a presentation token comprising the response and the signature, and providing the presentation token to a receiver computer system.