Video Player Binding via Hashed Encryption Key
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video playback configurations are vulnerable to users bypassing advertisements by retrieving and reusing scripting code from video players, leading to security vulnerabilities and revenue loss for content providers, as hashed scripting code can be intercepted during verification.
Innovation Solution
A system that binds encrypted video content to a video player by using the video player's identifier as a hash to generate an initialization vector and encryption key, ensuring the scripting code is securely maintained and cannot be reused or hosted elsewhere, with encryption and decryption processes utilizing block cipher techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hashed scripting code is sent from video player to server for verification, then security verification is achieved, but security vulnerability arises due to interception possibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful element (hashed scripting code transmission) from the verification process and replaces it with a client-side hash verification mechanism. The server no longer receives or processes hashed scripting code, eliminating the interception vulnerability while maintaining verification reliability through local client-side validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new intermediary mechanism - a server-generated unique identifier that is bound to both the scripting code and video content. This identifier acts as a mediator that enables verification without transmitting sensitive hashed code, allowing the server to verify authenticity while the client maintains security by never exposing its hash.
2Ease of operation
If scripting code is reused across different video players, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to code bypassing advertisements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an asymmetric relationship between scripting code and video content through content-specific encryption. Each video content receives unique encryption keyed to that content, making the scripting code inherently non-reusable across different videos. This asymmetric binding prevents advertisement bypass while maintaining operational simplicity for legitimate users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary binding of the scripting code to the video content during the content delivery phase. The server generates and provides content-specific encryption keys before the user attempts to play the video, pre-establishing the security binding. This preliminary action ensures that when the user runs the scripting code, it is already securely tied to the specific content, preventing later reuse attacks.
3Reliability
If encryption key is generated from video player identifier, then binding security is improved, but device complexity increases due to hash generation and encryption processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service encryption where the client's own video player identifier serves as the basis for generating the encryption key. The client device performs the hash generation and encryption operations using its own identifier, eliminating the need for complex server-side key management or external key distribution infrastructure. This self-service approach enhances security binding while managing complexity through client-side automation.
Data Source
AI summary
A server receives a video content identifier and a video player identifier from a video player through a network. The video content identifier identifies video content. The video player identifier identifies a video player. Further, the video player identifier is provided to a hash generator to generate a hash of the video player. In addition, the plaintext of the video content is encrypted with the encryption key to generate ciphertext. The encryption key is encrypted with the hash to generate an encrypted encryption key.