Radio Tag Authentication Protocol Preventing Desynchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional radio-tag authentication protocols are vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks, leading to desynchronization and increased resource consumption when managing a large number of identifiers, which slows down or saturates the authentication process.

Innovation Solution

The proposed method for authenticating a radio tag by a radio reader involves updating the tag's identifier only under specific conditions, ensuring that the tag and reader synchronize by requiring proof of knowledge from the reader before updating, thus preventing abusive desynchronization and reducing the number of database updates required during authentication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the tag updates its identifier after each authentication request, then the anonymity and non-traceability properties are maintained, but the system becomes vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks and experiences increased desynchronization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidauthentication speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The reader performs preliminary actions by calculating and sending the first value (H3(ID)) before the tag updates its identifier. This ensures the reader is prepared for the upcoming identifier change and can synchronize properly without requiring multiple subsequent updates, thus preventing denial-of-service attacks while maintaining security properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The tag sends feedback in the form of the second value (H4(H2(ID))) to prove to the reader that the identifier update was successful. This feedback mechanism ensures proper synchronization between tag and reader while maintaining the security properties of the authentication protocol

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the tag updates its identifier frequently, then the forward privacy property is maintained, but the number of database updates increases and resource consumption rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforward privacyVSAvoidcomputational overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The reader calculates and sends the first value (H3(ID)) as a preliminary action before the tag updates its identifier. This allows the reader to be prepared for the identifier change without requiring the tag to perform unnecessary updates, reducing computational overhead while maintaining forward privacy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The tag performs the identifier update only when necessary and sends the second value (H4(H2(ID))) as proof to the reader. This self-service approach ensures the tag updates its identifier only when authentication is successful, minimizing unnecessary database updates and reducing overall computational overhead while maintaining security properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2291948B1Method of authenticating a radio tag by a radio reader
Publication Date: 2014.10.22 ORANGE SA
  • EP2291948B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2291948B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method of authenticating a radio tag (20) by a radio reader (30), the tag possessing an identifier (ID) accessible to the reader via a database of tag identifiers, comprising:- a dispatching (E10) of an authentication request by the reader to the tag, - a dispatching (E11) by the tag of a response, calculated by applying a first function to at least the identifier (H1 (ID)), - a calculation (E15, E18) by the tag and by the reader of a new identifier (H2(ID)), by applying a second function to the identifier, characterized in that it comprises:- if the response (H1 (ID)) dispatched by the tag corresponds to a result obtained by applying said first function to an identifier of the base, a dispatching (E13) by the reader (30) of a first value (H3(ID)), calculated by applying a third function to said identifier of the base, - if the first value (H3(ID)) dispatched corresponds to a value obtained by applying the third function (H3) to the identifier of the tag, a replacement (E16) in the tag (20) of the identifier (ID) by the new identifier (H2(ID)) calculated by the tag, - a dispatching (E17) of a second value (H4(H2(ID)) to the reader, obtained by applying a fourth function to the new identifier (H2(ID)) calculated by the tag, - if the second value (H4(H2(ID))) dispatched corresponds to a value obtained by applying the fourth function (H4) to the new identifier ((H2(ID)) calculated by the reader, a replacement (E20) in the database of the identifier of the tag with the new identifier.