Key transformation unit for a tamper resistant module

• US 20080059812A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multos Ltd
• Original Assignee: Multos Ltd
• Inventors: Simmons, Ian, Miller, Stuart, Everett, David, Viner, John, Richards, Timothy, Peacham, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/35765 Access rights to memory zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

Methods, apparati, and computer-readable media for securely transporting a software application onto a tamper resistant module (TRM) (103) by using an individualized TRM key set. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises: storing a key pair unique to the TRM (103) in a memory located on the TRM (103), where the key pair comprises a TRM public key (150) and a TRM private key (190); retrieving the TRM public key from the TRM; encrypting a portion of the software application using the TRM public key (150); transmitting the encrypted software application to the TRM (103); and recovering and decrypting the encrypted software application using the TRM private key (190).

Claims

1. A method for processing a data transmission, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said data transmission, said data transmission comprising an executable software application encrypted with a first key, and a key transformation unit (KTU) encrypted with a second key, wherein said executable software application comprises at least one encrypted portion having an associated location, and said KTU comprises said first key and a location indicator for said associated location;

decrypting said KTU onto a tamper resistant module (TRM) to recover said first key and said location indicator;

identifying said encrypted portion associated with said associated location;

decrypting said encrypted portion of said executable software application onto said TRM using said first key for each encrypted portion; and

storing said decrypted executable software application in memory of said TRM for subsequent execution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second key is from a public key and private key set used in asymmetric encryption.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said KTU further indicates a technique used to encrypt said portion of said executable software application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enciphering a second portion of said executable software application independently of said encrypted portion of said executable software application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said second portion is encrypted using a second encryption technique, and said KTU indicates said second encryption technique.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said second portion is encrypted using a second key, and said KTU indicates said second key.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said KTU comprises a second location indicator for said second portion of said executable software application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said KTU indicates an associated location for each portion of said executable application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a software application provider (SAP) with an SAP public key and an SAP private key;

providing a certification authority (CA) with a CA public key and a CA private key;

signing said SAP public key using said CA private key to produce an application load certificate;

further encrypting said encrypted application using said SAP private key to produce a signed application; and

transmitting said signed application and said application load certificate to said TRM.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of said TRM verifying said application load certificate with said CA public key.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of verifying the signed application using said SAP public key from said application load certificate to produce a verified application unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said verified application unit is compared to said application unit to determine whether said verified application unit and said application unit are equivalent.

13. Apparatus for processing a data transmission, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving said data transmission, said data transmission comprising an executable software application encrypted with a first key, and a key transformation unit (KTU) encrypted with a second key, wherein said executable software application comprises an encrypted portion having an associated location, and said KTU comprises said first key and a location indicator for said associated location;

means for decrypting said KTU onto a tamper resistant module (TRM) to recover said first key and said location indicator;

means for identifying said encrypted portion;

means for decrypting said encrypted portion onto said TRM using said first key for said encrypted portion; and

means for storing said decrypted executable software application in memory of said TRM for subsequent execution.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said second key is from a public key and private key set used in asymmetric encryption.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said KTU further indicates a technique used to encrypt said encrypted portion.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for enciphering a second portion of said executable software application independently of said encrypted portion.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second portion is encrypted using a second encryption technique, and said KTU indicates said second encryption technique.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second portion is encrypted using a second key, and said KTU indicates said second key.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said KTU comprises a location indicator for said second portion.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said KTU comprises a location indicator for an associated location corresponding to each portion.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a certification authority (CA) arrangement providing a respective CA public key; and

means for verifying an application load certificate using the CA public key.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for providing a software application provider with an SAP public key for verifying the signed encrypted application using said SAP public key located in said verified application load certificate.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said verified application signature is compared to said encrypted application to determine whether they are equivalent.

24. A method for processing a data transmission, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said data transmission, said data transmission comprising an executable software application encrypted with a first key, and a key transformation unit (KTU) encrypted with a second key, wherein said executable software application comprises an encrypted portion having an associated location, and said KTU comprises said first key and a location indicator for said associated location;

decrypting said KTU onto a personal computer (PC) having at least one tamper resistant module (TRM) to recover said first key and said location indicator;

identifying said encrypted portion;

decrypting said encrypted portion of said executable software application onto a combination of PC and TRM (PC/TRM) using said first key for said encrypted portion; and

storing said decrypted executable software application in memory of said PC/TRM for subsequent execution.

25. Apparatus for processing a data transmission, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving said data transmission, said data transmission comprising an executable software application encrypted with a first key, and a key transformation unit (KTU) encrypted with a second key, wherein said executable software application comprises an encrypted portion having an associated location, and said KTU comprises said first key and a location indicator for said associated location;

means for decrypting said KTU onto a personal computer (PC) having at least one tamper resistant module (TRM), a PC and TRM combination (PC/TRM) being operable to recover said first key and said location indicator;

means for identifying said encrypted portion;

means for decrypting said encrypted portion onto said PC/TRM using said first key for said encrypted portion; and

means for storing said decrypted portion in memory of said PC/TRM for subsequent execution.