Adaptive Streaming Segment Integrity Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

In adaptive media streaming over HTTP, there is a risk of unauthorized access and tampering with media segments due to malicious entities in the distribution network, leading to segment replacement, reordering, modification, and denial of service, which compromises content integrity and authenticity.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for verifying segment integrity and authenticity using digests and digital signatures, where a user equipment receives a media stream segment, determines its digest or digital signature, and compares it to a correct one obtained from a media presentation description, allowing it to detect modifications and ensure the segment's authenticity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If media segments are transmitted through multiple CDN nodes in an open network, then content delivery flexibility and reachability are improved, but security against unauthorized access and tampering deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent delivery flexibilityVSAvoidcontent security
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by generating and attaching cryptographic digests and authentication tags to media segments before transmission through CDN nodes. This pre-established security mechanism enables the client to verify segment authenticity upon receipt, preventing unauthorized tampering while maintaining the flexibility of multi-node content delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces cryptographic authentication mechanisms as intermediaries between the content delivery network and the client. The digest and authentication tag act as mediators that verify segment integrity without requiring trust in intermediate CDN nodes, thus enabling secure delivery through untrusted open networks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If cryptographic authentication mechanisms are applied to verify segment integrity, then content security is improved, but computational overhead and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent securityVSAvoidverification processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by implementing selective verification where the client computes authentication tags only for received media segments and compares them against expected values. This partial cryptographic verification provides sufficient security without requiring full cryptographic processing of all content, thus reducing overall computational overhead while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3142329B1Systems and methods for segment integrity and authenticity for adaptive streaming
Publication Date: 2018.12.12 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3142329B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3142329B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3142329B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7B

AI summary

System and method embodiments are provided for segment integrity and authenticity for adaptive streaming. In an embodiment, the method includes receiving at a data processing system a segment of a media stream, determining, with the data processing system, a digest or a digital signature for the segment, and comparing, with the data processing system, the digest/digital signature to a correct digest or a correct digital signature to determine whether the segment has been modified.