Relay Detection via Feature Incompatibility Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining whether a communication is being relayed through a relay device are limited, as they rely on examining specific HTTP headers, backward connections, or querying databases, which are not effective for all protocols and can be resource-intensive or unethical.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves receiving first and second information elements from a potential relay device, analyzing configuration status, communication performance, and latency parameters to determine if the features of the original source and the potential relay device are incompatible, indicating whether the communication has been relayed through a relay device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If HTTP headers are examined to detect relayed communications, then detection capability is improved for HTTP protocols, but the method becomes ineffective for non-HTTP protocols and requires protocol-specific implementation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal detection mechanism that works across multiple protocols (HTTP, SMTP, IRC, DNS) by identifying common relay device behaviors rather than protocol-specific features. The system monitors communication patterns, connection establishment, and data transmission characteristics that are indicative of relay usage regardless of the application layer protocol being used.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces protocol-specific header examination (mechanical system) with a more general approach that analyzes fundamental communication characteristics such as connection timing, data flow patterns, and device behavior metrics that transcend individual protocols.
2Reliability
If backward connections are established to verify device identity, then reliability of detection is improved, but resource consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial verification by analyzing multiple indicators of relay usage (communication patterns, connection characteristics, device behavior) rather than requiring complete verification through backward connections. This approach achieves sufficient detection reliability without the full resource cost of establishing reverse connections to all suspected devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of communication patterns and device characteristics before initiating resource-intensive verification steps. By pre-identifying suspicious communications based on observable behaviors, the system can selectively apply more rigorous verification only when necessary, reducing overall resource consumption.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple relay devices are used to create geographic illusion, then anonymity and fraud prevention circumvention are improved, but detection difficulty increases due to feature incompatibility analysis complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent breaks down the complex analysis of multi-relay communications into separable components: individual connection characteristics, communication patterns, device behavior metrics, and geographic consistency checks. By segmenting the analysis, the system can handle each aspect independently and aggregate results, making the overall detection process more manageable despite the complexity of detecting relay chains.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediary analysis layers that examine communication characteristics at different levels (connection level, data transmission level, device behavior level) to detect relay usage without needing to directly trace through multiple relay devices. This intermediary approach simplifies detection by focusing on observable patterns rather than attempting to reconstruct the entire relay chain.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus and computer readable code for determining whether a potential relay device is a relay device are provided herein. In some embodiments, first and second information elements are received from a potential relay device, which is an original source of the second information element. In order to determine whether the potential relay device is a relay device, it is determined whether a feature of an original source of the first information element and a feature of the potential relay device are features unlikely to relate to a single device, wherein a positive result of the determining is indicative that the potential relay device is a relay device. In an exemplary embodiment, a disclosed system includes an information element receiver and a feature incompatibility analyzer. Optionally, the disclosed system includes a feature discovery module, a parameter obtainer and a feature database.