Vehicle OTA Upgrade Security via Segmented Encryption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current over-the-air (OTA) firmware update technologies for vehicles lack sufficient security measures, making the transmission process vulnerable to tampering and data theft, particularly for sensitive information like key algorithms and user privacy.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a secure vehicle-mounted device upgrade method that includes two-way authentication between the download server and the vehicle-mounted device using HTTPS or TLS protocols, encrypting and signing the upgrade files, and verifying integrity through hash algorithms or message authentication codes to ensure confidentiality and integrity of each data segment during transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional OTA upgrade technology is used, then upgrade efficiency and convenience are improved, but security of the transmission process deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupgrade efficiencyVSAvoidtransmission security
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The upgrade file is divided into multiple data segments before transmission. Each segment is independently encrypted and authenticated, allowing for granular security control and verification during the upgrade process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Security measures including encryption key generation, file encryption, signature generation, and integrity verification are performed in advance before transmission. The receiving device also performs preliminary verification of authentication information before processing the upgrade

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If encryption and authentication protocols are implemented, then transmission security is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission securityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

All complex security operations including key generation, encryption, signature creation, and authentication verification are performed in advance before transmission. This preliminary action consolidates complexity into predefined steps, making the actual transmission and execution phases simpler and more reliable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3893108B1Vehicle-mounted device upgrading method, and related apparatus
Publication Date: 2023.04.05 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3893108B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3893108B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3893108B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide a vehicle-mounted device upgrade method and a related apparatus, applied to the field of vehicle information security. The method includes: An on-board unit of a vehicle processes a first data segment according to a first algorithm, to obtain a first check value, where the first data segment is any data segment in a plurality of data segments included in an upgrade file of a control unit used to upgrade the vehicle, and the first check value is sent to the control unit; and the vehicle-mounted device encrypts the first data segment by using a first key, to obtain a first encrypted segment, and sends the first encrypted segment to the control unit, so that the control unit stores, in the control unit, the first data segment obtained by decrypting the first encrypted segment by using the first key, where the first data segment is used by the control unit to form the upgrade file for upgrade. According to the embodiments of this application, security of the upgrade file in an in-vehicle transmission process can be effectively improved.