Secret Share Metadata Hashing for Error Detection in Reconstitution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for secret distribution and storage face challenges in identifying the source of errors during secret reconstitution, particularly when a subset of secret shares is lost, stolen, or corrupted, leading to potential unrecoverability of the secret.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that splits a secret into multiple shares using Shamir secret sharing, where metadata is generated and stored separately, including hashes of each secret share. This metadata is used to verify the integrity of the secret shares and identify any incorrect shares during reconstitution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secret shares are distributed to multiple shareholders for secure storage, then security against single points of failure is improved, but the ability to identify incorrect shares during reconstitution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary hashing of secret shares and stores the hashes in metadata before distribution to shareholders. This advance preparation enables later verification of share integrity during reconstitution without requiring complex real-time detection mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where retrieved secret shares are verified against stored metadata hashes. This feedback loop identifies incorrect shares during reconstitution by comparing current share values with their original hashed representations, enabling detection of corruption or theft.
2Reliability
If metadata is stored with secret shares, then verification of share integrity is improved, but the complexity of the storage system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the storage system into two independent components: secret share storage on portable devices and metadata storage on a server. This segmentation allows each component to remain simple while the combination provides robust verification capability through distributed architecture.
3Reliability
If all secret shares are required for reconstitution, then security is improved, but the loss of time for recovering the secret deteriorates when shares are lost or stolen
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical requirement of physically gathering all shareholders with a cryptographic verification system. By using hash-based verification stored in metadata, the system can quickly identify valid shares and proceed with reconstitution without requiring all original shareholders to be present, reducing recovery time while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device includes at least one processor configured to determine a retrieved secret share from each of at least two secret share storage devices or media that are retrieved from at least two of a plurality of shareholders. The at least one processor is also configured to determine whether each respective retrieved secret share is one of the plurality of secret shares that were generated based on whether the respective hash of the respective retrieved secret share matches any hash in the list of hashes of the plurality of secret shares within the metadata. The at least one processor is also configured to, in response to determining that each retrieved secret share is among the plurality of secret shares that were generated, attempt to reconstitute a secret using retrieved secret shares from the at least two secret share storage devices or media.