Method and Device for Detecting an Attempt to Substitute an Original Casing Portion of an Electronic System with a Replacement Casing Portion

• US 20100180122A1
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banks And Acquirers International Holding
• Original Assignee: Ingenico France
• Inventors: Eck, Alain, Coussieu, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• 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: G07F 7/082 Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card
• 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: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0208 Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic system comprising a casing consisting of at least first and second casing portions and containing a device for detecting the substitution of the first casing portion. The device comprises a first integrated circuit intended to be fixed to the first casing portion and a second integrated circuit intended to be fixed to the second casing portion. The second circuit is adapted to transmit to the first integrated circuit successive random or pseudo-random digital signals (R). The first integrated circuit is adapted to return to the second integrated circuit, for each digital signal, the first encrypted signature (S) from said digital signal. The second integrated circuit is adapted to determine a second encrypted signature (S′) from said digital signal and to detect a substitution of the first casing portion if the first and second encrypted signatures are different.

Claims

1. An electronic system comprising a package formed of at least one first package portion connected to a second package portion and containing a device for detecting the substitution of the first package portion, said device comprising:

a first integrated circuit intended to be attached to the first package portion; and

a second integrated circuit intended to be attached to the second package portion and capable of transmitting to the first integrated circuit successive random or pseudo-random digital signals, the first integrated circuit being capable of sending back to the second integrated circuit, for each digital signal, a first signature encrypted based on said digital signal, the second integrated circuit being capable of determining a second signature encrypted based on said digital signal and of detecting a substitution of the first package portion if the first and second encrypted signatures are different.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first integrated circuit comprises a first memory in which are stored an identification number and a first key and the second integrated circuit comprises a second memory in which is stored a second key, the first integrated circuit being capable of transmitting the identification number to the second integrated circuit, the second integrated circuit being capable of transmitting the identification number to an activation tool external to the reader and of receiving the second key, equal to the first key, determined by the activation tool by a first encryption function based on the identification number and on a third key, the first integrated circuit being capable of determining, for each digital signal, the first signature encrypted by a second encryption function based on said digital signal and on the first key, the second integrated circuit being capable of determining the second signature encrypted by the second encryption function based on said digital signal and on the second key.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first integrated circuit is connected to the second integrated circuit by a wire link.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first integrated circuit is connected to the second integrated circuit by a capacitive link.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system corresponds to a card reader, especially for performing payment operations.

6. A method for detecting the substitution of a first package portion of a system further comprising a second package portion connected to the first package portion, the method comprising:

providing a first integrated circuit attached to the first package portion and a second integrated circuit attached to the second package portion;

having the second integrated circuit transmit to the first integrated circuit successive random or pseudo-random signals;

having the first integrated circuit send back to the second integrated circuit, for each digital signal, a first signature encrypted based on said digital signal; and

having the second integrated circuit determine a second signature encrypted based on said digital signal and detect a substitution of the first package portion if the first and second encrypted signatures are different.

7. The detection method of claim 6, comprising the steps of:

a) storing in the first integrated circuit an identification number and a first key which is not accessible from the outside of the first integrated circuit;

b) having, in the activation phase, the second integrated circuit transmit the identification number to the second integrated circuit;

c) having, in the activation phase, the second integrated circuit transmit the identification number to an activation tool external to the reader;

d) having, in the activation phase, the activation tool determine a second key, equal to the first key, by a first encryption function based on the identification number and on a third key;

e) having, in the activation phase, the activation tool transmit the second key to the second integrated circuit;

f) having, in a normal operating phase, the second integrated circuit transmit to the first integrated circuit the successive random or pseudo-random digital signals;

g) having, in the normal operating phase, the first integrated circuit send back to the second integrated circuit, for each digital signal, the first encrypted signature determined by a second encryption function based on said digital signal and on the first key; and

h) having, in the normal operating phase, the second integrated circuit determine the second signatures encrypted by the second encryption function based on said digital signal and on the second key, and detect a substitution of the first package portion if the first and second encrypted signatures are different.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of having the second integrated circuit delete the second key in the case where the first and second encrypted signatures are different at step h), the reusing of the reader then requiring a new implementation of steps b) to e).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first encryption function is a function of DES or Triple DES type and/or the second encryption function is a function of SHA type.