PUF-Based Device Interconnection Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of suitable mechanisms for verifying the physical proximity of devices, which leads to vulnerabilities such as SIM card removal and fraud in the telecom industry and Digital Rights Management, where ensuring devices are physically connected is crucial for authentication and subscription management.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using physical unclonable functions (PUFs) to verify the physical interconnection of devices by sending challenges and receiving responses from PUF parts in separate devices, ensuring that the devices are physically close by comparing the responses to an expected criterion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If devices are permanently engaged to prevent removal, then security against device separation is improved, but device complexity and physical protection requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the authentication function into two separate devices: a first device containing a first PUF part and a second device containing a second PUF part. These segmented devices work together through physical interconnection to provide authentication, eliminating the need for permanent engagement structures while maintaining security against device separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a verifier as an intermediary that coordinates the authentication process between the two devices. The verifier sends challenges to the first device and receives responses from the second device, enabling security verification without requiring direct permanent physical engagement between the authenticated devices.
2Reliability
If computational verification methods are used to verify device properties, then authentication capability is improved, but ability to verify physical proximity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or physical verification methods with a computational challenge-response system based on PUFs. The first device receives a challenge from the verifier, processes it through the first PUF part, and the result is verified by the second device, substituting physical measurement with computational verification that inherently proves physical interconnection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the verification parameter from physical measurement (distance, connection state) to computational output (challenge-response pairs). By transforming the verification task into a computational problem solved by PUFs, the system can verify physical proximity through mathematical properties rather than physical sensing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of verifying that a first device and a second device are physically interconnected is disclosed. The method is performed by a verifier and includes sending a challenge R1 to the first device, for use as basis for input to a first physical unclonable function, PUF, —part of the first device, receiving, a response, RES1, from the second device, the response RES1 being based on an output of a second PUF part of the second device, and verifying that the first device and the second device are interconnected for the case that the received response, RES1, and an expected response fulfills a matching criterion. A method in a first device and a method in a second device and corresponding devices, computer programs and computer program products are also disclosed.