Secure Element Switching for Fraud-Resistant Transaction Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable electronic devices that execute blockchain transactions are vulnerable to attacks due to mixed architectures where multiple processors share access to a display screen, and integrating a hardware wallet into a conventional mobile terminal platform poses security challenges.
Innovation Solution
An electronic terminal with an application processor connected to a secure element via a wired bus, featuring a physical bistable switch and transaction validation device, ensures secure cryptographic calculations and display control by the secure element, minimizing attack surfaces and user validation through physical buttons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple processors share access to a display screen in a mixed architecture, then device functionality and ease of operation are improved, but security against fraudulent manipulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display system into two independent display pipelines: one controlled by the application processor for general UI, and another controlled by the secure element for transaction-related information. This segmentation ensures that the secure element can independently verify and display transaction data without being influenced by the application processor, thereby maintaining security while preserving device functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a switch as an intermediary component that controls which processor's output is routed to the display. The switch acts as a mediator that can isolate the secure element's display output from the application processor when needed, preventing fraudulent manipulation while allowing both processors to function independently. This intermediary mechanism resolves the contradiction by enabling security isolation without sacrificing overall device adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If a hardware wallet is integrated into a conventional mobile terminal, then ease of operation is improved, but exposure to attacks and security risks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the terminal's processing architecture into a secure element (hardware wallet) and an application processor, with independent display control for each. The secure element maintains its isolated security environment while being integrated into the mobile terminal, allowing it to resist attacks while the overall device remains convenient to use. The segmentation enables the secure element to function as a hardware wallet without inheriting the full attack surface of the conventional mobile terminal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by giving the secure element specific security properties that differ from the rest of the system. The secure element has dedicated display control and isolated processing capabilities, creating a locally secure zone within the broader mobile terminal. This local quality enhancement allows the hardware wallet to maintain high security standards while being integrated into a convenient mobile device.
3Ease of operation
If the secure element is continuously connected to the application processor, then ease of operation is improved, but security against attacks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the connection between the secure element and application processor through a switch that can change states. The connection is established only when needed for legitimate operations, and can be isolated when security threats are detected or during critical cryptographic operations. This dynamic switching mechanism allows the system to balance ease of operation with security protection, resolving the contradiction between continuous connectivity and attack exposure.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic terminal comprising an application processor (APP PROC) configured to execute at least one transaction, and a secure element (eSE) configured to, at the request of the application processor, perform at least one cryptographic calculation necessary for completing the transaction, and provide the result of the cryptographic calculation to the application processor. The terminal comprises a transaction validation device (B) actionable by a user and exclusively accessible by the secure element (eSE), and a physical bistable switch (S) actionable by the user and exclusively accessible by the secure element. The secure element is configured to, in a first position of the switch, enter an active mode where it responds to commands from the application processor, and, in a second position of the switch, enter an inactive mode where it does not receive or does not respond to commands from the application processor.