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Prevention of software tampering

  • US 7,478,233 B2
  • Filed: 05/30/2002
  • Issued: 01/13/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for protecting against software tampering in a node in a distributed computing system, comprising:

  • (a) encrypting a message using a predetermined encryption algorithm at a first node, wherein the predetermined encryption algorithm uses a protection key based at least in part on node-specific information of the first node and at the first node any new activity resulting from a new software module introduction that would subsequently be copied or transferred to a second node must be first validated at the first node and, the node-specific information changes if node software in the first node is altered by an underlying change in the composition of node-specific information;

    (b) sending the encrypted message to a second node along with the underlying change in the composition of the node-specific information of the first node if a change occurs at the first node by the new software module introduction; and

    (c) receiving the encrypted message at the second node along with the underlying change in the composition of the node-specific information of the first node if a change occurs at the first node by the new software introduction;

    (d) decrypting the encrypted message using the predetermined encryption algorithm and an authentication key, wherein the authentication key is based at least in part on node specific information of the second node, wherein the node-specific information changes if node software in the first node is altered by an underlying change in the composition of the node-specific information; and

    (e) periodically changing the predetermined encryption algorithm or the node-specific information upon which the protection and authentication keys are based.

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