Methods and systems for unilateral authentication of messages

• US 20020152380A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: OʼShea, Gregory, Roe, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system and method for authentication verifies the address of an information sender based on the sender'"'"'s address, public key, and a digital signature. A portion of the sender'"'"'s address is derived from the public key, such as by incorporating a portion of a hash of the public key with or without a modifier. The sender provides information including content data, the public key, the address, and the digital signature generated using the private key corresponding to the public key. Upon reception, the recipient verifies the address by recreating it from the public key. The signature is verified using the network address and public key. The recipient accepts the content data when both the address and signature are verified. The content data may include a communications parameter of the sender, such as a care-of address where the sender is a mobile device and the recipient is the sender'"'"'s home agent.

Claims

1. A method for a first computing device to make authentication information available to a second computing device, the method comprising:

creating authentication information, the authentication information including content data, a public key of the first computing device, a network address of the first computing device, and a digital signature, the network address having a portion derived from the public key of the first computing device, the digital signature generated by signing with a private key of the first computing device corresponding to the public key, the digital signature generated from data in the set;

the content data, a hash value of data including the content data; and

making the authentication information available to the second computing device.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the authentication information is made available to the second computing device by sending a message incorporating the authentication information to the second computing device.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the content data include data for updating a network communications parameter for the first computing device.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the first computing device is a mobile device, and wherein the network communications parameter is a care-of address of the first computing device.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the second computing device is a home agent for the first computing device, and wherein the network address of the first computing device is a home address of the first computing device.

6. A method as in claim 4, wherein the second computing device is a correspondent of the first computing device, and wherein the network address of the first computing device is a home address of the first computing device.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the public key and the private key together form an uncertified key pair.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the network address of the first computing device includes a route prefix portion and a node-selectable portion, and the node-selectable portion includes a portion of a hash value of data including the public key of the first computing device.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the node-selectable portion includes a portion of a hash value of data including the public key of the first computing device and a modifier selected for preventing address conflicts.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein the authentication information further includes data for preventing a replay attack.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the data for preventing a replay attack are in the set:

time stamp, data identifying the second computing device as an intended recipient of the authentication information.

14. A data structure as in claim 13, wherein the content data include data for updating a network communications parameter for the computing device.

15. A data structure as in claim 14, wherein the computing device is a mobile device, and wherein the network communications parameter is a care-of address of the computing device.

16. A data structure as in claim 15, wherein the network address of the computing device is a home address of the computing device.

17. A data structure as in claim 13, wherein the network address of the computing device includes a route prefix portion and a node-selectable portion, and the node-selectable portion includes a portion of a hash value of data including the public key of the computing device.

18. A data structure as in claim 17, wherein the node-selectable portion includes a portion of a hash value of data including the public key of the computing device and a modifier selected for preventing address conflicts.

19. A data structure as in claim 13, wherein the data structure further includes data for preventing a replay attack.

12. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for performing a method for a first computing device to make authentication information available to a second computing device, the method comprising:

creating authentication information, the authentication information including content data, a public key of the first computing device, a network address of the first computing device, and a digital signature, the network address having a portion derived from the public key of the first computing device, the digital signature generated by signing with a private key of the first computing device corresponding to the public key, the digital signature generated from data in the set;

the content data, a hash value of data including the content data; and

making the authentication information available to the second computing device.

13. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure comprising:

content data;

a public key of a computing device;

a network address of the computing device, the network address having a portion derived from the public key of the computing device; and

a digital signature, the digital signature generated by signing with a private key of the computing device corresponding to the public key, the digital signature generated from data in the set;

the content data, a hash value of data including the content data.

20. A method for a second computing device to authenticate content data made available by a first computing device, the method comprising:

accessing authentication information made available by the first computing device, the authentication information including the content data, a public key of the first computing device, a first network address of the first computing device, and a digital signature;

deriving a portion of a second network address from the public key of the first computing device;

validating the digital signature by using the public key of the first computing device;

accepting the content data if the derived portion of the second network address matches a corresponding portion of the first network address and if the validating shows that the digital signature was generated from data in the set;

the content data, a hash value of data including the content data.

21. A method as in claim 20, further comprising:

determining whether to accept the content data based on a time stamp in the authentication information.

22. A method as in claim 20, wherein the content data include data for updating a communications parameter for the first computing device, the method further comprising:

updating a record of a communications parameter for the first computing device.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein the communications parameter is a care-of address of the first computing device, and wherein updating includes updating a routing table maintained by the second computing device.

24. A method as in claim 20, wherein the authentication information further includes a modifier, and wherein deriving includes appending the modifier to the public key of the first computing device before deriving a portion of the second network address.

25. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for performing a method for a second computing device to authenticate content data made available by a first computing device, the method comprising:

accessing authentication information made available by the first computing device, the authentication information including the content data, a public key of the first computing device, a first network address of the first computing device, and a digital signature;

deriving a portion of a second network address from the public key of the first computing device;

validating the digital signature by using the public key of the first computing device;

accepting the content data if the derived portion of the second network address matches a corresponding portion of the first network address and if the validating shows that the digital signature was generated from data in the set;

the content data, a hash value of data including the content data.