Secure logic interlocking

• US 20030177374A1
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Attestwave LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Trustedflow Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Ofek, Yoram, Yung, Marcel Mordechay
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/14 against software analysis or reverse engineering, e.g. by obfuscation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/27 Evaluation or update of window size, e.g. using information derived from acknowledged [ACK] packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and system for processing logic modules, each having a separate functionality, into a unique functionality that is to be executed in an interlocked mode as a unique functionality. The method is based on taking logic modules (programs and data) with known functionality and transforming them into a hidden program by integrating modules to execute together into a logic which is partially obfuscated and/or encrypted and/or physically hidden. The hidden program is being updated dynamically to strengthen it against reverse engineering efforts. The program includes the functionality for generating security signals, which are unpredictable by observers, such as a pseudo random sequence of security signals. Only elements that share the means for producing the security signals can check their validity. The modules include operational tasks and performance parameters for this operation. The operation can be transmission of data packets with given parameters of performance that the hidden program contains. The generated security signals thus assure that the correct operation was taken place and can be used to signal various cryptographic parameters as well.

Claims

1. A system for providing secure integration of separate logic modules to provide a combined functionality, the system comprising:

a plurality of software logic modules operable stand-alone to provide a respective plurality of subtask functions;

a transformation controller for interlocking the plurality of software logic modules into a single logic program;

wherein the combined functionality is only provided when the plurality of subtask functions are executed responsive to the single logic program.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein the single logic program is written to be immune to reverse generation.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein one of the software logic modules provides a cryptographic function for producing a pseudo-random sequence of security tags.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein producing pseudo-random sequence of security tags utilizes computation by at least one of:

applying a pseudo-random generator, applying a pseudo-random function, applying a cryptographic function, applying an encryption function, applying a scrambling subroutine, applying an authentication function, applying a digital signing function, applying a cryptographic hash function, applying a subroutine, applying a computational logic module, applying a symmetric cryptography function, applying an asymmetric cryptography function, employing a cryptographic key, employing a cryptographic seed, employing an encrypted software, employing an obfuscated software, employing a hidden program, employing logic with a set of parameters, employing a hardware module, employing a smart card, employing a portable device, and employing a distributed protocol.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein one of the software logic modules provides logic to construct data packets.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein logic to construct data packets computes at least one of:

IP data packet, TCP/IP data packet, UDP data packet, ATM data packet, MPLS data packet, TCP SYN signal, PING signal, ICMP signal, IPv4, IPv6, FC frame, cable modem frame, Ethernet frame, data packet segmentation.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein one of the software logic modules provides rules of transmission.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the rules of transmission compute at least one of:

performance characteristics, access characteristics, transmission limitations, transmission rates, window sizes, port numbers, IP addresses, network addresses, quotas, renewable quotas, packet structure limitations, schedule.

9. The system as in claim 7,

wherein at least one of the rules of transmission determines a renewable precondition for transmission.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein the renewable precondition for transmission is least one of:

renewable transmission quota of trusted data packets, number of trusted data packets that can be transmitted per unit of time, time signal, a UTC time signal, a digitally signed time signal, a digital cache for transmission of trusted data packets, and cryptographic keys for marking trusted data packets.

11. The system as in claim 9, wherein the renewable precondition for transmission is obtained from at least one of:

predefined logic, an external rule controller, a security management system, via a network interface, a network appliance, a server, a network management system, a firewall, local computation, a smart card device, and a portable device.

12. The system as in claim 1, wherein one of the software logic modules provides a cryptographic function for producing a pseudo-random sequence of security tags;

and wherein one of the software logic modules provides logic to construct data packets.

13. The system as in claim 1, wherein one of the software logic modules provides a cryptographic function for producing a pseudo-random sequence of security tags;

and wherein one of the software logic modules provides rules of transmission.

14. The system as in claim 1, wherein one of the software logic modules provides a cryptographic function for producing a pseudo-random sequence of security tags;

wherein one of the software logic modules provides logic to construct data packets; and

wherein one of the software logic modules provides rules of transmission.

15. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a source of interlocking parameters; and

wherein the transformation controller is further comprised of means for combining the software logic modules according to defined interlocking logic responsive to the interlocking parameters.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein the source of interlocking parameters is generated by at least one of a random source, cryptographic keys, a defined table and location in memory.

17. The system as in claim 15, wherein the transformation controller determines an intermixture of the subtask functions of the plurality of software logic modules into the single program to provide the combined functionality.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein the intermixture can be provided in a defined plurality of different ways;

and

wherein each of the different ways provides a different one of the single program providing the combined functionality.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the intermixture is further comprised of at least one of obfuscation, encryption, replication, adding dummy code, addition of redundant control, renaming of variables, splitting a procedure into multiple sub-procedure, dictionary transformation, compilation, interpretation, cryptographic transformation, digital signing, and scrambling.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein the replication is comprised of repetitions of the software logic modules into an oversize program comprising the single program embedded therein.

21. The system as in claim 20, wherein each repetition is made active separately to define an active single program within the oversize program which acts as the single program.

22. The system as in claim 1, wherein the transformation controller further generates external software modules for linked operation with the single program required for the combined functionality.

23. The system as in claim 22, further comprising:

means for transmitting the external software modules to separate computing subsystems;

wherein the external software modules are executed in the separate computing subsystems to provide at least one of;

update information and renewable information coupled to the single logic program.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the means for transmitting utilizes at least one of:

encryption, authentication, and digital signing.

25. The system as in claim 23, wherein the update information is at least one of:

change data, change executable code, change pattern, change order and pseudo-change of dummy code.

26. The system as in claim 23, wherein the renewable information is at least one of:

renewable transmission quota of trusted data packets, number of trusted data packets that can be transmitted per unit of time, time signal, a UTC time signal, a digitally signed time signal, a digital cache for transmission of trusted data packets, and cryptographic keys for marking trusted data packets.

27. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for transmitting the single logic program to a primary computing system.

28. The system as in claim 27, wherein the means for transmitting utilizes at least one of:

encryption, authentication, and digital signing.

29. The system as in claim 1, wherein security verification information is generated by the transformation controller, for utilization by separate security tag verification logic in a separate communications subsystem which validates the security tag.

30. The system as in claim 1, wherein one of the software logic modules provides security services.

31. The system as in claim 30, wherein the security services provide for at least one of:

user authentication, user sign-on, data packet authentication, user login, applying user'"'"'s cryptographic keys, applying organization'"'"'s cryptographic keys, and digital signing.

32. The system as in claim 30, wherein the security services further provide for applying cryptographic transformations based on keys belonging to a primary computing system.

33. The system as in claim 32, wherein the primary computing system provides for execution of the single logic program.

34. The system as in claim 3, further comprising:

means for providing at least one of the software logic modules to a secondary computing subsystem.

35. A method for providing secure integration of separate logic modules to provide a combined functionality, the system comprising:

providing a plurality of software logic modules operable stand-alone to provide a respective plurality of subtask functions;

interlocking the plurality of software logic modules into a single logic program;

providing the combined functionality only when the plurality of subtask functions are executed responsive to the single logic program.

37. The method as in claim 38, further comprising:

producing the pseudo-random sequence of security tags utilizing computation by at least one of;

applying a pseudo-random generator, applying a pseudo-random function, applying a cryptographic function, applying an encryption function, applying a scrambling subroutine, applying an authentication function, applying a digital signing function, applying a cryptographic hash function, applying a subroutine, applying a computational logic module, applying a symmetric cryptography function, applying an asymmetric cryptography function, employing a cryptographic key, employing a cryptographic seed, employing an encrypted software, employing an obfuscated software, employing a hidden program, employing logic with a set of parameters, employing a hardware module, employing a smart card, employing a portable device, and employing a distributed protocol.

38. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

constructing data packets utilizing the software logic modules.

40. The method as in claim 35, wherein one of the software logic modules provides rules of transmission.

41. The method as in claim 40, further comprising:

utilizing the rules of transmission to compute at least one of;

performance characteristics, access characteristics, transmission limitations, transmission rates, window sizes, port numbers, IP addresses, network addresses, quotas, renewable quotas, packet structure limitations, schedule.

42. The method as in claim 40, further comprising:

determining a renewable precondition for transmission responsive to at least one of the rules of transmission.

43. The method as in claim 42, wherein the renewable precondition for transmission is least one of:

renewable transmission quota of trusted data packets, number of trusted data packets that can be transmitted per unit of time, time signal, UTC time signal, digitally signed time signal, digital cash for transmission of trusted data packets, and cryptographic keys for marking trusted data packets.

44. The method as in claim 42, further comprising:

obtaining the renewable precondition for transmission from at least one of;

a predefined logic, an external rule controller, a security management system, network interface, network appliance, server, network management system, firewall, local computation, smart card device, portable device.

45. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

providing a cryptographic function for producing a pseudo-random sequence of security tags; and

providing logic to construct data packets.

46. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

providing a cryptographic function for producing a pseudo-random sequence of security tags; and

providing rules of transmission.

47. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

providing logic to construct data packets.

48. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

combining the software logic modules according to defined interlocking logic responsive to interlocking parameters.

49. The method as in claim 48, further comprising:

generating the source of interlocking parameters by at least one of a random source, cryptographic keys, a defined table and location in memory.

50. The method as in claim 48, further comprising:

determining an intermixture of the subtask functions of the plurality of software logic modules into the single program to provide the combined functionality.

51. The method as in claim 50, wherein the intermixture can be provided in a defined plurality of different ways;

and

wherein each of the different ways provides a different one of the single program providing the combined functionality.

52. The method as in claim 51, wherein the intermixture is further comprised of at least one of obfuscation, encryption, replication, adding dummy code, addition of redundant control, renaming of variables, splitting a procedure into multiple sub-procedure, dictionary transformation, compilation, interpretation, cryptographic transformation, digital signing, and scrambling.

53. The method as in claim 52, wherein the replication is comprised of providing repetitions of the software logic modules into an oversize program comprising the single program embedded therein.

54. The method as in claim 53, further comprising:

activating each repetition separately to define an active single program within the oversize program which acts as the single program.

55. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

generating external software modules for linked operation with the single program required for the combined functionality.

56. The method as in claim 55, further comprising:

transmitting the external software modules to separate computing subsystems; and

executing the external software modules in the separate computing subsystems to provide at least one of;

update information and renewable information coupled to the single logic program.

57. The method as in claim 55, further comprising:

utilizing at least one of;

encryption, authentication, and digital signing.

58. The method as in claim 55, wherein the update information is at least one of:

change data, change executable code, change pattern, change order and pseudo-change of dummy code.

59. The method as in claim 55, wherein the renewable information is at least one of:

renewable transmission quota of trusted data packets, number of trusted data packets that can be transmitted per unit of time, time signal, UTC time signal, digitally signed time signal, digital cash for transmission of trusted data packets, and cryptographic keys for marking trusted data packets.

60. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

transmitting the single logic program to a primary computing system.

61. The method as in claim 59, wherein the transmitting further involve at least one of:

encryption, authentication, and digital signing.

62. The method as in claim 35, generating security verification information for utilization by a separate security tag verification logic in a separate communications subsystem which validates the security tag.

63. The method as in claim 35, further comprising:

providing security services as one of the software logic modules.

64. The method as in claim 63, wherein the security services are comprised of at least one of:

user authentication, user sign-on, data packet authentication, user login, applying user'"'"'s cryptographic keys, applying organization'"'"'s cryptographic keys, and digital signing.

65. The method as in claim 63, wherein security services further provides means for applying cryptographic transformations based on keys belonging to a primary computing system.

66. The method as in claim 65, wherein the primary computing system includes means for execution of single logic program.

67. The method as in claim 37, further comprising:

providing one of the software logic modules to a secondary computing subsystem.

36. The method as in claim 36, further comprising:

producing a pseudo-random sequence of security tags.

39. The method as in claim 39, further comprising:

constructing data packets by computing utilizing at least one of;

IP data packet, TCP/IP data packet, UDP data packet, ATM data packet, MPLS data packet, TCP SYN signal, PING signal, ICMP signal, IPv4, IPv6, FC frame, cable modem frame, Ethernet frame, data packet segmentation.