Pre-association Mechanism for Wireless Service Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Mobility Services Advertisement Protocol (MSAP) faces challenges in authenticating service advertisements, particularly in unsecured networks, where spoofed applications can masquerade as legitimate ones, leading to potential vulnerabilities for spam attacks and phishing, as messages exchanged between Access Points (AP) and mobile devices are susceptible to tampering without link security.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a transceiver and controller system in mobile devices to determine if an access network supports MSAP, sending requests for available services with nonces, and validating responses using digital signatures and cookies to ensure authenticity and prevent tampering, while also employing secure protocols like HTTPS to protect against attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If service advertisements are transmitted without link security in unsecured networks, then service discovery and advertisement functionality is enabled, but authentication reliability deteriorates allowing spoofed applications to masquerade as legitimate services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cookies as intermediary elements that mediate between the mobile device and access network provider. These cookies contain authentication information and are exchanged during the service advertisement process, enabling verification of the access network provider's identity without requiring direct secure link establishment. The cookie acts as a trusted intermediary that carries authentication credentials through the unsecured network channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary authentication actions by exchanging cookies and validating digital signatures before service advertisements are fully processed and displayed. The mobile device validates the digital signature on the cookie received from the access network provider prior to trusting any service advertisement information. This preliminary validation ensures authentication reliability is established before the vulnerable service advertisement phase occurs.
2Reliability
If digital signatures and cookies are used to authenticate service advertisements, then authentication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional validation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service authentication where the mobile device autonomously validates the digital signature on the received cookie using the public key of the access network provider. The device independently verifies the authentication credentials without requiring manual intervention or complex external validation systems. This self-service approach simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining high authentication reliability.
3Ease of operation
If service advertisements are displayed without validation, then ease of operation is improved by showing all available services, but security vulnerabilities increase exposing users to spam and phishing attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by validating the digital signature on service advertisements before they are displayed to the user. The mobile device checks the authenticity of the access network provider through cookie validation prior to displaying any service information. This preemptive security measure blocks spoofed and malicious service advertisements from being displayed, preventing spam and phishing attacks before they can affect the user.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, an apparatus comprising a transceiver configured to send and receive data and logic coupled to the transceiver. The logic is configured to determine from a signal received by the transceiver whether an associated device sending the signal supports a protocol for advertising available services. The logic is configured to send a request for available services from the associated device via the transceiver responsive to determining the associated device supports the protocol. The logic is configured to receive a response to the request via the transceiver, the response comprising at least one service advertisement and a signature. The logic is configured to validate the response by confirming the signature.