Systems and methods for facilitating user authentication over a network

• US 8,539,569 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Mansour, Rasta A
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HEE K
• Application Number:
  US12/751,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 726 5- 9, 713/168, 713/176, 713/180, 380/44, 380/258
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3218 using proof of knowledge, e.g. Fiat-Shamir, GQ, Schnorr, ornon-interactive zero-knowledge proofs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3273 for mutual authentication network architectures or network communication protocols for achieving mutual authentication in a packet data network H04L63/0869
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications

Abstract

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for facilitating network transactions include user authentication over a network by providing strong mutual authentication of client web application to server side application server, providing session encryption key negotiation after authentication to continue encryption during communication, and providing a high-level encryption technique referred to as an effective zero knowledge proof of identity (eZKPI) algorithm. In various implementations, the eZKPI algorithm is adapted to couple something the user Knows (e.g., a password or personal identification number) with something the user Has (e.g., a secure identification card) to create a stronger identity authentication proof for access to a mobile device and applications running on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating transactions over a network, the method comprising:

communicating with a web-client over the network;

receiving a request for authentication from the web-client over the network, the request including user information related to a user;

verifying that the user information includes a first integer value P corresponding to a first identification number related to the user and a second integer value Q corresponding to a second identification number related to the user;

challenging the web-client over the network by generating and sending a plurality of different random integer values to the web-client over the network including a first random integer value R, a second random integer value T, and a third random integer value K;

defining a first line segment PR between the first integer value P and the first random integer value R;

defining a second line segment QT between the second integer value Q and the second random integer value T;

determining an intersection point S of the first line segment PR and the second line segment QT;

calculating a first hash value from the third random integer value K and the intersection point S;

receiving a second hash value from the web-client over the network;

performing a first authentication protocol by comparing the first hash value with the second hash value, wherein if the first and second hash values match, then the web-client is authenticated, and wherein if the first and second hash values do not match, then the first authentication protocol is aborted; and

storing information related to performing the first authentication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fourth random integer value L with the second hash value from the web-client over the network,

performing a second authentication protocol by;

calculating a third hash value from the third random integer value K, the intersection point S, and the fourth random integer value L,

sending the third hash value to the web-client over the network,

wherein if the third hash value is accepted by the web-client, then communication continues with the web-client, and

wherein if the third hash value is not accepted by the web-client, then communication with the web-client is aborted by the web-client; and

storing information related to performing the second authentication protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

locating a user account related to the user based on the user information passed with the request, wherein the user account includes information related to the user; and

comparing the user information passed with the request with user information of the user account to verify that the user information includes a first integer value P and a second integer value Q related to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first integer value P comprises a value for the first identification number related to the user, and

wherein the first identification number comprises a user identification number from a secure identification card.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second integer value Q comprises a value for the second identification number related to the user, and

wherein the second identification number comprises an alpha-numeric password selected by the user or a personal identification number selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each different random integer value comprises 10 to 20 digits.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first line segment PR passes through point values for the first integer value P and the first random integer value R,

the second line segment passes through point values for the second integer value Q and the second random integer value T, and

the intersection of the first line segment PR and the second line segment QT passes through a point value for the intersection point S.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first integer value P comprises a first shared secret with the web-client, and

the second integer value Q comprises a second shared secret with the web-client.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing one or more of the first integer value P, the second integer value Q, the third random integer value K, and the fourth random integer value L.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a first encryption value comprising the third random integer value K plus a value for the intersection point S; and

storing a second encryption value comprising the third random integer value K plus the fourth random integer value L plus a value for the intersection point S.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a server adapted to communicate with web-client over the network.

12. A system for facilitating transactions over a network, the system comprising:

a communication component adapted for communicating with a web-client over the network; and

a processing component adapted for;

receiving a request for authentication from the web-client over the network, the request including user information related to a user;

verifying that the user information includes a first integer value P corresponding to a first identification number related to the user and a second integer value Q corresponding to a second identification number related to the user;

challenging the web-client over the network by generating and sending a plurality of different random integer values to the web-client over the network including a first random integer value R, a second random integer value T, and a third random integer value K;

defining a first line segment PR between the first integer value P and the first random integer value R;

defining a second line segment QT between the second integer value Q and the second random integer value T;

determining an intersection point S of the first line segment PR and the second line segment QT;

calculating a first hash value from the third random integer value K and the intersection point S;

receiving a second hash value from the web-client over the network;

performing a first authentication protocol by comparing the first hash value with the second hash value, wherein if the first and second hash values match, then the web-client is authenticated, and wherein if the first and second hash values do not match, then the first authentication protocol is aborted; and

storing information related to performing the first authentication protocol.

13. The system of claim 12, the processing component further adapted for:

receiving a fourth random integer value L with the second hash value from the web-client over the network,

performing a second authentication protocol by;

calculating a third hash value from the third random integer value K, the intersection point S, and the fourth random integer value L,

sending the third hash value to the web-client over the network,

wherein if the third hash value is accepted by the web-client, then communication continues with the web-client, and

wherein if the third hash value is not accepted by the web-client, then communication with the web-client is aborted by the web-client; and

storing information related to performing the second authentication protocol.

14. The system of claim 12, the processing component further adapted for:

locating a user account related to the user based on the user information passed with the request, wherein the user account includes information related to the user; and

comparing the user information passed with the request with user information of the user account to verify that the user information includes a first integer value P and a second integer value Q related to the user.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the first integer value P comprises a value for the first identification number related to the user, and

wherein the first identification number comprises a user identification number from a secure identification card.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the second integer value Q comprises a value for the second identification number related to the user, and

wherein the second identification number comprises an alpha-numeric password selected by the user or a personal identification number selected by the user.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein each different random integer value comprises 10 to 20 digits.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the first line segment PR passes through point values for the first integer value P and the first random integer value R,

the second line segment passes through point values for the second integer value Q and the second random integer value T, and

the intersection of the first line segment PR and the second line segment QT passes through a point value for the intersection point S.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the first integer value P comprises a first shared secret with the web-client, and

the second integer value Q comprises a second shared secret with the web-client.

20. The system of claim 12, the processing component further adapted for:

storing one or more of the first integer value P, the second integer value Q, the third random integer value K, and the fourth random integer value L.

21. The system of claim 12, the processing component further adapted for:

storing a first encryption value comprising the third random integer value K plus a value for the intersection point S; and

storing a second encryption value comprising the third random integer value K plus the fourth random integer value L plus a value for the intersection point S.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the system comprises a server adapted to communicate with the web-client over the network.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which are stored computer readable instructions and when executed operable to:

communicate with a web-client over the network;

receive a request for authentication from the web-client over the network, the request including user information related to a user;

verify that the user information includes a first integer value P corresponding to a first identification number related to the user and a second integer value Q corresponding to a second identification number related to the user;

challenge the web-client over the network by generating and sending a plurality of different random integer values to the web-client over the network including a first random integer value R, a second random integer value T, and a third random integer value K;

define a first line segment PR between the first integer value P and the first random integer value R;

define a second line segment QT between the second integer value Q and the second random integer value T;

determine an intersection point S of the first line segment PR and the second line segment QT;

calculate a first hash value from the third random integer value K and the intersection point S;

receive a second hash value from the web-client over the network;

perform a first authentication protocol by comparing the first hash value with the second hash value, wherein if the first and second hash values match, then the web-client is authenticated, and wherein if the first and second hash values do not match, then the first authentication protocol is aborted; and

store information related to performing the first authentication protocol.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, further operable to:

receive a fourth random integer value L with the second hash value from the web-client over the network,

perform a second authentication protocol by;

calculating a third hash value from the third random integer value K, the intersection point S, and the fourth random integer value L,

sending the third hash value to the web-client over the network,

wherein if the third hash value is accepted by the web-client, then communication continues with the web-client, and

wherein if the third hash value is not accepted by the web-client, then communication with the web-client is aborted by the web-client; and

store information related to performing the second authentication protocol.