METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TAMPER PROOFING A SYSTEM OF INTERCONNECTED ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20110047630A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Inventors: Wu, Yong Dong, Guo, Huaqun, Cheng, Heng Seng
• Application Number:
  US12/449,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047630A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A method and system for tamper proofing a system of interconnected electronic devices. The method comprises splitting embedded software of each electronic device into at least two executable parts, a stationary part residing in memory of said each electronic device and a non-stationary part residing in memory of another electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for tamper proofing a system of interconnected electronic devices, the method comprising:

splitting embedded software of each electronic device into at least two executable parts, a stationary part residing in memory of said each electronic device and a non-stationary part residing in memory of another electronic device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

interleaving at least one stationary part and one non-stationary part residing in memory of one electronic device at source code level; and

compiling the stationary part and the non-stationary part to executable code for storing in the electronic device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stationary part and the non-stationary part of the split embedded software of one electronic device communicate with each other via broadcasting communications over a network bus.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting communications comprise data messages, and electronic devices receiving the broadcasting communication determine whether the broadcasting communication is intended for them based on the data messages.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data messages are encrypted.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a secure device interconnected to the electronic devices.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secure device broadcast an authentication request for one of the electronic devices, and the secure device authenticates said one device based on a broadcast authentication reply from said one electronic device.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the authentication is based on authentication of the stationary part of the split embedded software of said one electronic device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the secure device assigns the non-stationary part of said one electronic device residing in memory of another electronic device by sending an assignation request to said other electronic device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein multiple copies of the non-stationary part of one electronic device reside in respective memories of two or more other electronic devices, and the secure device only assigns and activates one copy of the non-stationary part for each assignation instance.

11. A system for tamper proofing a system of interconnected electronic devices, the system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices, wherein each electronic device comprises an embedded software,

said embedded software is split into at least two executable parts, a stationary part residing in memory of said each electronic device and a non-stationary part residing in memory of another electronic device.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one stationary part and one non-stationary part residing in memory of one electronic device are interleaved at source code level, with the stationary part and the non-stationary part compiled to executable code stored in the electronic device.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the stationary part and the non-stationary part of the split embedded software of one electronic device communicate with each other via broadcasting communications over a network bus.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the broadcasting communications comprise data messages, and electronic devices receiving the broadcasting communication determine whether the broadcasting communication is intended for them based on the data messages.

15. The system as claimed in any one of claim 11, wherein the data messages are encrypted.

16. The system as claimed in any one of claim 11, wherein the system further comprises a secure device interconnected to the electronic devices.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the secure device broadcast an authentication request for one of the electronic devices, and the secure device authenticates said one device based on a broadcast authentication reply from said one electronic device.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the authentication is based on authentication of the stationary part of the split embedded software of said one electronic device.

19. The system as claimed claim 17, wherein the secure device assigns the non-stationary part of said one electronic device residing in memory of another electronic device by sending an assignation request to said other electronic device.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein multiple copies of the non-stationary part of one electronic device reside in respective memories of two or more other electronic devices, and the secure device only assigns and activates one copy of the non-stationary part for each assignation instance.

21. An automotive comprising the system as claimed in claim 11.