Peer-to-Peer Key Verification for Consistent Public Key Logs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing messaging systems lack a mechanism to verify the authenticity and consistency of public keys distributed by key distribution servers, making them vulnerable to attacks and unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a key transparency server that uses append-only logs and peer-to-peer verification to ensure the integrity of public keys, employing cryptographic techniques like Merkle trees and verifiable random functions to track and verify key updates, and detect split-view attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a key distribution server is used to distribute public keys, then key distribution efficiency is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to attacks and unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transparency server as an intermediary between the key distribution server and clients. This mediator publishes signed logs of key distribution actions and provides verification mechanisms, allowing clients to independently verify the authenticity of received keys without directly trusting the key distribution server.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through signed logs that record and verify key distribution actions. The transparency server provides verification data back to clients, enabling them to confirm whether their received keys match the official record, thus creating a closed-loop verification system.
2Reliability
If key transparency verification is implemented, then key authenticity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The verification system is segmented into distinct components: the transparency server that publishes signed logs, the key distribution server that distributes keys, and client devices that perform verification. This segmentation allows each component to have a specific, simplified function while collectively providing robust verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The transparency server performs preliminary actions by pre-publishing signed logs of key distribution actions before clients need to verify keys. This allows clients to have verification data ready and available, simplifying their verification process as they can directly compare received keys against pre-signed records.
3Stability of the object's composition
If append-only logs with cryptographic chaining are used, then log immutability is improved, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical logging systems with cryptographic mechanisms. Instead of relying on physical or procedural safeguards to prevent log modification, the system uses cryptographic hashing and digital signatures to provide mathematical guarantees of immutability. Each log entry is cryptographically chained to previous entries, making any modification detectable without requiring complex physical security measures.
Data Source
AI summary
A first electronic device can establish a communication channel with a second electronic device and receive a second signed log head of an identifier log via the communication channel. The identifier log is managed by a key transparency server and can include public keys of users registered with the server and user identifiers. The second signed log head includes a hash of the public keys and the user identifiers in the identifier log. The second signed log head can be provided to the second device by the server. In response to sending a request for a consistency-checked log head from the server, the device can receive at least one consistency-checked signed log head. The device can verify a consistency between the second signed log head and the at least one consistency-checked log head. If verified the device can maintain use of the server for verifying ownership of the keys.