Imparting cryptographic information in network communications

• US 9,055,051 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Whillock, Asa, Chan, Edward, Manapragada, Srinivas, Kaufman, Matthew, Shetty, Pritham, Thornburgh, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US14/027,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 713/160, 713/168, 380/43, 380/44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0841 involving Diffie-Hellman or related key agreement protocols

Abstract

This specification describes technologies relating to imparting cryptographic information in network communications. In general, aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include identifying a location in a pre-defined portion of a network communication to be sent in a client-server environment, wherein the pre-defined portion is reserved for random data, inserting cryptographic information into the pre-defined portion of the network communication at the location, and sending the network communication in the client-server environment to facilitate modifying interactions in the client-server environment based at least in part on a result of processing of the cryptographic information; and on a receiving side, receiving cryptographic information inserted into the pre-defined portion of the network communication in the client-server environment, identifying the location, processing the cryptographic information, and modifying interactions in the client-server environment based at least in part on a result of the processing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving cryptographic information inserted into a portion of a handshake communication in a client-server environment, wherein the portion of the handshake communication is reserved for random data to support bandwidth detection, and wherein insertion of the cryptographic information therein is naturally presented as the random data;

accessing the cryptographic information in the portion by identifying a location of the cryptographic information in the portion of the handshake communication and retrieving a section of the random data

attempting to verify the cryptographic information;

outputting a result of the attempt to verify the cryptographic information; and

initiating an encrypted session, or a non-encrypted session, in the client-server environment based at least in part on the cryptographic information and the result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the location further comprises:

determining an index into the portion of the handshake communication based on the retrieved section of the random data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein using at least part of the handshake communication to identify the location comprises:

retrieving multiple different sections of the random data; and

determining multiple different indices into the portion of the handshake communication based on the different sections of the random data.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising retrieving a second section of the random data;

and determining a second index into the portion of the handshake communication based on the retrieved second section of the random data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a cryptographic key, and wherein initiating the encrypted session comprises using the cryptographic key.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising authenticating the handshake communication;

and

turning on or off a feature of a program operating in the client-server environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) defines the portion of the handshake communication that is reserved for random data to support bandwidth detection.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program product encoded therein, the computer program product operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving cryptographic information inserted into a portion of a handshake communication in a client-server environment, wherein the portion of the handshake communication is reserved for random data to support bandwidth detection, and wherein insertion of the cryptographic information therein is naturally presented as the random data;

accessing the cryptographic information in the portion by identifying a location of the cryptographic information in the portion of the handshake communication and retrieving a section of the random data;

attempting to verify the cryptographic information;

outputting a result of the attempt to verify the cryptographic information; and

initiating an encrypted session, or a non-encrypted session, in the client-server environment based at least in part on the cryptographic information and the result.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein identifying the location further comprises:

determining an index into the portion of the handshake communication based on the retrieved section of the random data.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein using at least part of the handshake communication to identify the location comprises:

retrieving multiple different sections of the random data; and

determining multiple different indices into the portion of the handshake communication based on the different sections of the random data.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising retrieving a second section of the random data;

and

determining a second index into the portion of the handshake communication based on the retrieved second section of the random data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising establishing a cryptographic key, and wherein initiating the encrypted session comprises using the cryptographic key.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising authenticating the handshake communication;

and

turning on or off a feature of a program operating in the client-server environment.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) defines the portion of the handshake communication that is reserved for random data to support bandwidth detection.

15. A method comprising:

identifying a location in a portion of a handshake communication to be sent in a client-server environment, wherein the portion of the handshake communication is reserved for random data to support bandwidth detection;

inserting cryptographic information into the portion of the handshake communication at the location, wherein insertion of the cryptographic information therein is naturally presented as the random data;

accessing the cryptographic information in the portion by retrieving a section of the random data;

attempting to verify the cryptographic information;

outputting a result of the attempt to verify the cryptographic information; and

sending the handshake communication in the client-server environment to facilitate an encrypted session, or a non-encrypted session, in the client-server environment based at least in part on the cryptographic information and the result.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the portion includes the random data, and identifying the location comprises:

determining an index into the portion of the handshake communication based on the retrieved section of the random data.