Secure node-to-multinode communication

• US 10,079,814 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kelisec AB
• Original Assignee: Kelisec AB
• Inventors: Revell, Elise
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US15/513,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 713163
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to communication sessions between a first node and a plurality of other nodes. Two cryptographic keys are generated. A first cryptographic key is generated (113A) in a first node (10), e.g. Node A. A second cryptographic key is generated (113B) by a second node (22), which is a virtual and temporary node which is executed on a server (20). The second cryptographic key is transmitted to several other nodes (30). The first and second cryptographic keys, which are the same, may then be applied in communication sessions between the first node (10) and the several other nodes (30). Hereby it is made possible to allow for node-to-multinode communication sessions that offer the same, or substantially the same, security as conventional node-to-node communication sessions.

Claims

1. A method of establishing communication sessions between a first node and a plurality of other nodes, the method comprising:

the first node sending a request message to a server for requesting the establishment of secure communication sessions with a plurality of other nodes, the request message including a list of node identifiers wherein each of the node identifiers identifies a respective node of the plurality of other nodes;

the server receiving said request message from the first node; and

in response to receiving said request message;

the server creating a virtual and temporary second node, which is executable within said server;

the server generating a list of temporary node identifiers on the basis of said list of node identifiers such that each of the plurality of nodes becomes identifiable by its respective temporary node identifier;

the server communicating the list of temporary node identifiers to the virtual and temporary second node; and

subsequently

the server sending a first key generating file to the first node and the server communicating a second key generating file to the virtual and temporary second node;

the first node starting to process the first key generating file and the virtual and temporary second node starting to process the second key generating file; and

in response

the first node generating a first intermediate data set and the virtual and temporary second node generating a second intermediate data set;

the first node sending the first intermediate data set to the virtual and temporary second node;

the virtual and temporary second node comparing bits of the first intermediate data set with corresponding bits of the second intermediate data set;

the virtual and temporary second node generating a third intermediate data set based on the bit-by-bit comparison between the first intermediate data set and the second intermediate data set by setting a first value if the compared bits are equal and setting a second value if the compared bits are unequal;

the virtual and temporary second node sending the third intermediate data set to the first node;

the first node comparing bits of the third intermediate data set with corresponding bits of the first intermediate data set;

the first node generating a first cryptographic key based on the bit-by-bit comparison between the third and the first intermediate data set by keeping the value of the bit of the first intermediate data set if the corresponding bit of the third intermediate data set is set to the first value and ignoring the bit of the first intermediate data set if the corresponding bit of the third intermediate data set is set to the second value;

the virtual and temporary second node generating a second cryptographic key based on the bit by bit comparison between the first and the second intermediate data set by keeping the value of the bit of the second data set if the corresponding bit of the first intermediate data set is equal and ignoring the bit of the second intermediate data set if the compared bits are unequal, said first and second cryptographic keys being the same;

the virtual and temporary second node setting up communication channels between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes, the virtual and temporary second node using the list of temporary node identifiers for identifying the respective nodes of the plurality of nodes to which communication channels are to be set up; and

in response to the respective communication channels having been set up

the virtual and temporary second node further sending the second cryptographic key to each of the plurality of other nodes; and

the first node applying the first cryptographic key and each of the plurality of other nodes applying the second cryptographic key during the communication sessions between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

the virtual and temporary second node sending a communication set-up request message to each of the plurality of other nodes;

in response thereto

the server receiving a response message from each of the plurality of other nodes for requesting a node identifier of the virtual and temporary second node; and

in response to receiving said response message

the server returning a node identifier of the virtual and temporary second node; and

the server receiving either an acknowledgement message or a non-acknowledgment message from each of the plurality of other nodes; and

in response to receiving an acknowledgment message, the server instructing the virtual and temporary second node to send a second cryptographic key to each of the plurality of other nodes that returned an acknowledgement message; and

in response thereto

the virtual and temporary second node sending the second cryptographic key to each of the plurality of other nodes that returned an acknowledgement message.

3. A method performed by a first node for establishing communication sessions between the first node and a plurality of other nodes, the method comprising:

sending a request message to a server for requesting the establishment of secure communication sessions with a plurality of other nodes, the request message including a list of node identifiers wherein each of the node identifiers identifies a respective node of the plurality of other nodes;

receiving a first key generating file from the server;

starting to process the first key generating file; and

in response

generating a first intermediate data set;

sending the first intermediate data set to a virtual and temporary second node, the virtual and temporary second node being executable on said server;

receiving a third intermediate data set from the virtual and temporary second node;

comparing bits of the third intermediate data set with corresponding bits of the first intermediate data set;

generating a first cryptographic key based on the bit-by-bit comparison between the third and the first intermediate data set by keeping the value of the bit of the first intermediate data set if the corresponding bit of the third intermediate data set is set to the first value and ignoring the bit of the first intermediate data set if the corresponding bit of the third intermediate data set is set to the second value; and

applying the first cryptographic key during the communication sessions between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a non-transitory computer readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of the first node, cause the processor to carry out the method.

5. A first node for establishing communication sessions between the first node and a plurality of other nodes, the first node comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer program with instructions which, when executed on the processor, cause the first node to;

send, by means of the transmitter, a request message to a server for requesting the establishment of secure communication sessions with a plurality of other nodes, the request message including a list of node identifiers wherein each of the node identifiers identifies a respective node of the plurality of other nodes;

receive, by means of the receiver, a first key generating file from the server;

process the first key generating file; and

in response

generate a first intermediate data set;

send, by means of the transmitter, the first intermediate data set to a virtual and temporary second node, the virtual and temporary second node being executable on said server;

receive, by means of the receiver, a third intermediate data set from the virtual and temporary second node;

compare bits of the third intermediate data set with the corresponding bits of the first intermediate data set;

generate a first cryptographic key based on the bit-by-bit comparison between the third and the first intermediate data set by keeping the value of the bit of the first intermediate data set if the corresponding bit of the third intermediate data set is set to the first value and ignoring the bit of the first intermediate data set if the corresponding bit of the third intermediate data set is set to the second value; and

apply the first cryptographic key during the communication sessions between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes.

6. A method performed by a server for establishing communication sessions between a first node and a plurality of other nodes, the method comprising:

receiving a request message from the first node for requesting the establishment of secure communication sessions between the first node and a plurality of other nodes, the request message including a list of node identifiers wherein each of the node identifiers identifies a respective node of the plurality of other nodes;

in response to receiving said request message;

creating a virtual and temporary second node, which is executable within said server;

generating a list of temporary node identifiers on the basis of said list of node identifiers such that each of the plurality of nodes becomes identifiable by its respective temporary node identifier; and

subsequently

sending a first key generating file to the first node and also communicating a second key generating file to the virtual and temporary second node;

executing the virtual and temporary second node on the server and the virtual and temporary second node thereby;

starting to process the second key generating file; and

in response

generating a second intermediate data set;

receiving a first intermediate data set from the first node;

comparing bits of the first intermediate data set with corresponding bits of the second intermediate data set;

generating a third intermediate data set based on the bit-by-bit comparison between the first intermediate data set and the second intermediate data set by setting a first value if the compared bits are equal and setting a second value if the compared bits are unequal;

sending the third intermediate data set to the first node;

generating a second cryptographic key based on the bit by bit comparison between the first and the second intermediate data set by keeping the value of the bit of the second data set if the corresponding bit of the first intermediate data set is equal and ignoring the bit of the second intermediate data set if the compared bits are unequal;

setting up communication channels between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes, the virtual and temporary second node using the list of temporary node identifiers for identifying the respective nodes of the plurality of nodes to which communication channels are to be set up;

in response to the respective communication channels having been set up

sending the second cryptographic key to each of the plurality of other nodes for subsequent application by each of the plurality of other nodes during the communication sessions between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a non-transitory computer readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of the server, cause the processor to carry out the method.

8. A server for establishing communication sessions between a first node and a plurality of other nodes, the server comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer program with instructions which, when executed on the processor, cause the server to;

receive, by means of the receiver, a request message from the first node for requesting the establishment of secure communication sessions between the first node and a plurality of other nodes, the request message including a list of node identifiers wherein each of the node identifiers identifies a respective node of the plurality of other nodes;

in response to receiving said request message create a virtual and temporary second node, which is executable within said server;

generate a list of temporary node identifiers on the basis of said list of node identifiers such that each of the plurality of nodes becomes identifiable by its respective temporary node identifier; and

subsequently

send, by means of the transmitter, a first key generating file to the first node; and

communicate a second key generating file to the virtual and temporary second node;

execute the virtual and temporary second node on the server and the virtual and temporary second node thereby;

process the second key generating file; and

in response

generate a second intermediate data set;

receive, by means of the receiver, a first intermediate data set from the first node;

compare bits of the first intermediate data set with the corresponding bits of the second intermediate data set;

generate a third intermediate data set based on the bit-by-bit comparison between the first intermediate data set and the second intermediate data set by setting a first value if the compared bits are equal and setting a second value if the compared bits are unequal;

send, by means of the transmitter, the third intermediate data set to the first node;

generate a second cryptographic key based on the bit by bit comparison between the first and the second intermediate data set by keeping the value of the bit of the second data set if the corresponding bit of the first intermediate data set is equal and ignoring the bit of the second intermediate data set if the compared bits are unequal;

set up communication channels between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes, the virtual and temporary second node using the list of temporary node identifiers for identifying the respective nodes of the plurality of nodes to which communication channels are to be set up;

in response to the respective communication channels having been set up

send, by means of the transmitter, the second cryptographic key to each of the plurality of other nodes for subsequent application by each of the plurality of other nodes during the communication sessions between the first node and each of the plurality of other nodes.

9. A method performed by a node for establishing a communication session between said node and a first node, the method comprising:

receiving a communication set-up request message from a virtual and temporary second node, which is executable on a server;

in response to receiving said communication set-up request message returning a response message for requesting a node identifier of the virtual and temporary second node;

receiving said node identifier of the virtual and temporary second node from the server,

comparing the received node identifier with stored node identifiers;

in response thereto

sending a non-acknowledgement message to the server when the received node identifier does not match a stored node identifier;

otherwise

authenticating the virtual and temporary second node when the received node identifier matches a stored node identifier and sending an acknowledgement message to the server; and

in response

receiving a second cryptographic key from the virtual and temporary second node; and

applying the second cryptographic key during a communication session with the first node.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a non-transitory computer readable medium comprises instructions which, when executed by at least one processor of the first node, cause the processor to carry out the method.

11. A node for establishing a communication session between said node and a first node;

the node comprising;

a transmitter;

a receiver;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer program with instructions which, when executed on the processor, cause the node to;

receive, by means of the receiver, a communication set-up request message from a virtual and temporary second node, which is executable on a server;

in response to receiving said communication set-up request message return, by means of the transmitter, a response message for requesting a node identifier of the virtual and temporary second node;

receive, by means of the receiver, said node identifier of the virtual and temporary second node from the server,

compare the received node identifier with stored node identifiers;

in response thereto

send, by means of the transmitter, a non-acknowledgement message to the server when the received node identifier does not match a stored node identifier;

otherwise

authenticate the virtual and temporary second node when the received node identifier matches a stored node identifier;

send, by means of the transmitter, an acknowledgement message to the server; and

in response

receive, by means of the receiver, a second cryptographic key from the virtual and temporary second node; and

apply the second cryptographic key during a communication session with the first node.