Secure Pairing via Authentication Server for Second Screen Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing second screen technologies face security challenges due to vulnerabilities in communication between devices and external servers, particularly susceptible to Byzantine failures, man-in-the-middle, and replay attacks, requiring enhanced security measures for secure pairing and communication.
Innovation Solution
A secure pairing method involving a controller computing device, a target computing device, and an authentication server, where the devices exchange encrypted credentials and shared secrets to establish a secure connection, using timestamps and message authentication to prevent attacks, ensuring only authorized devices can communicate and control multimedia content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If second screen devices communicate with external servers over the network, then device functionality and user experience are enhanced, but security vulnerabilities increase (susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks, replay attacks, and Byzantine failures)
Solution Approach 1:
An authentication server is introduced as an intermediary between the controller device and target device. The authentication server verifies credentials and issues authenticated session tokens, mediating the communication to prevent unauthorized access and attacks such as man-in-the-middle and replay attacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary authentication and credential verification before establishing communication between devices. The authentication server validates device identities and issues secure session tokens in advance, preventing unauthorized connections and potential attacks before they can occur.
2Reliability
If devices exchange credentials and shared secrets for secure communication, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex authentication and credential management logic is extracted from the individual devices and centralized in the authentication server. Devices only need to implement basic credential verification and session token handling, while the server manages the complex security protocols, key exchange, and authentication state.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication server acts as an intermediary that handles the complex credential exchange and shared secret establishment between devices. This mediator absorbs the complexity of secure communication protocols, leaving devices with simpler implementation requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
In an approach, a target computing device receives a pairing request from a controller computing device, the pairing request including controller credentials that were previously received by the controller computing device from an authentication server computer and encrypted under a service key. The target computing device forwards the pairing request to the authentication server, the authentication server computer being configured to return a pairing response based at least in part on the controller credentials. The target computing device receives the pairing which includes a shared secret encrypted under a target device key and the same shared secret encrypted under a controller key. The target computing device decrypts the shared secret encrypted under the target device key and forwards the shared secret encrypted under the controller key to the controller device. Using the decrypted shared secret, the target computing device establishes a secure connection to the controller computing device.