Abstract:
A system and method are provided enabling implicit redundancies such as constant differences and points that should be on the same curve, to be checked at the beginning, end and intermittently throughout the computation to thwart fault injection attacks. This can be implemented by checking the constant difference in point pairs during point multiplication, by checking constant scalings in exponentiation pairs, and by checking that any intermediate point is on the curve and/or in the correct subgroup of the curve.
Abstract:
A portion of the signed message in an ECPVS is kept truly confidential by dividing the message being signed into at least three parts, wherein one portion is visible, another portion is recoverable by any entity and carries the necessary redundancy for verification, and at least one additional portion is kept confidential. The additional portion is kept confidential by encrypting such portion using a key generated from information specific to that verifying entity. In this way, any entity with access to the signer's public key can verify the signature by checking for a specific characteristic, such as a certain amount of redundancy in the one recovered portion, but cannot recover the confidential portion, only the specific entity can do so. Message recovery is also provided in an elliptic curve signature using a modification of the well analyzed ECDSA signing equation instead of, e.g. the Schnorr equation used in traditional PV signature schemes.
Abstract:
A method of compressing a cryptographic value. The method comprising the steps of: (a) selecting a secret value; (b) performing a cryptographic operation on the secret value to generate the cryptographic value; (c) determining whether the cryptographic value satisfies the pre-determined criteria; and (d) repeating the sequence of steps starting at step (a) until the cryptographic value satisfies the pre-determined criteria.
Abstract:
An improved compression scheme for compressing an ECDSA signature is provided. The scheme substitutes the integer s in a signature (r, s) by a smaller value c. The value c is derived from s and another value d, d being small enough such that c is smaller than s. The compressed signature (r, c) is verified by computing a value using r and e, e being a hash of a message m, and using this value with a value R recovered from r to derive the value d. The value s can then be recovered and the full signature then recovered and verified.
Abstract:
A method and system are provided for authenticating and securing an embedded device using a secure boot procedure and a full non-volatile memory encryption process that implements Elliptic Curve Pinstov-Vanstone Signature (ECPV) scheme with message recovery on a personalized BIOS and master boot record. The signature includes code that is recovered in order to unlock a key that is in turn used to decrypt the non-volatile memory. The use of ECPVS provides an implicit verification that the hardware is bound to the BIOS since the encrypted memory is useless unless properly decrypted with the proper key.
Abstract:
The present invention provides an inexpensive, software-based security-retrofit solution to verify the integrity of program code in embedded systems, or accessories, without resorting to expensive hardware changes. All unused memory on an accessory that could be used to store a program code image is filled with random data. A host system also locally stores a copy of the accessory's program image containing the random data. The host system sends the accessory a list of memory addresses or memory ranges on the accessory, which is always different and random in nature. The accessory will then produce a digest using values stored in the memory addresses as inputs to a secure hash function. The host system verifies the integrity of the embedded program code by verifying the resulting digest produced by and returned from the accessory.
Abstract:
The present invention provides an inexpensive, software-based security-retrofit solution to verify the integrity of program code in embedded systems, or accessories, without resorting to expensive hardware changes. All unused memory on an accessory that could be used to store a program code image is filled with random data. A host system also locally stores a copy of the accessory's program image containing the random data. The host system sends the accessory a list of memory addresses or memory ranges on the accessory, which is always different and random in nature. The accessory will then produce a digest using values stored in the memory addresses as inputs to a secure hash function. The host system verifies the integrity of the embedded program code by verifying the resulting digest produced by and returned from the accessory.
Abstract:
A method of transmitting messages from a sender to a recipient over a wireless channel, the messages including a sequence counter and a frame counter. The method comprises establishing initial values of the sequence counter and the frame counter at the sender. Initial values of the frame counter and the sequence counter are provided to the recipient. The sender sends compressed messages including the value of the sequence counter and not the frame counter and monitors for an acknowledgement of receipt by the recipient. When no acknowledgment is received, the sender sends uncompressed messages until an acknowledgement of receipt is received from the recipient. The sequence counter is incremented and the next value of the frame counter is established as the integer next larger than previous value of the frame counter which is congruent to the sequence counter modulo 256.
Abstract:
A wireless communication system includes a pager or similar device that communicates to a home terminal. The home terminal confirms the identity of the pager and attaches a certificate to the message for ongoing transmission. Where the recipient is also a pager, an associated home terminal verifies the transmission and forwards it in a trusted manner without the certificate to the recipient.
Abstract:
A key establishment protocol between a pair of correspondents includes the generation by each correspondent of respective signatures. The signatures are derived from information that is private to the correspondent and information that is public. After exchange of signatures, the integrity of exchange messages can be verified by extracting the public information contained in the signature and comparing it with information used to generate the signature. A common session key may then be generated from the public and private information of respective ones of the correspondents.