System, device, and method of provisioning cryptographic data to electronic devices

• US 9,231,758 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arm Limited (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: ARM Technologies Israel Ltd.
• Inventors: Bar-El, Hagai, Klimov, Alexander, Shen, Asaf
• Primary Examiner(s): LESNIEWSKI, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US14/187,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 681 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0877 using additional device, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard, USB or hardware security module [HSM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068

Abstract

System, device, and method of provisioning cryptographic assets to electronic devices. A delegation message is generated at a first provisioning server. The delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server to a second provisioning server with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device. The delegation message includes an association key unknown to the first provisioning server, encrypted using a public key of the electronic device. The delegation message further includes a public key of the second provisioning server. The electronic device locally generates the association key, which is unknown to the first provisioning server. The delegation message is delivered to the electronic device. Based on the delegation message, cryptographic assets are provisioned by the second provisioning server to the electronic device, using the association key.

Claims

1. A method of cryptographic material provisioning (CMP), the method comprising:

(a) generating a delegation message at a first provisioning server computer,

wherein the delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server computer to a second provisioning server computer with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device,

wherein generating the delegation message comprises at least one of;

(A) inserting into the delegation message an encrypted association key that was encrypted by the second provisioning server computer using a public key of said electronic device, wherein said association key is unknown to the first provisioning server computer, wherein said public key of said electronic device is usable to encrypt data for subsequent decrypting by said electronic device using said private encryption key of said electronic device;

(B) inserting into the delegation message a public key of the second provisioning server computer;

enabling the electronic device to locally generate said association key unknown to the first provisioning server computer;

wherein the association key is retrievable by the second provisioning server computer based on the public key of the second provisioning server computer;

(b) delivering the delegation message from the first provisioning server computer to the electronic device;

(c) at the second provisioning server, provisioning one or more cryptographic assets to the electronic device, using said association key;

wherein the method comprises, prior to performing step (a);

securely delivering from the second provisioning server computer to the first provisioning server computer, via a secure communication channel, (A) a public encryption key of the second provisioning server computer, and (B) a class-wide association key encrypted with a key that allows the association key to be decrypted by said electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first provisioning server computer, by listening to all communications among the first provisioning server computer, the second provisioning server computer, the electronic device, and an authorization server computer, cannot decipher the contents of one or more cryptographic assets that are provisioned by the second provisioning server computer to the electronic device, even though said first provisioning server computer delegated to said second provisioning server computer one or more provisioning rights to subsequently provision one or more of said cryptographic assets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first provisioning server computer, which introduced the second provisioning server computer to the electronic device for purposes of subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets, cannot decipher data exchanged between the second provisioning server computer and the electronic device, even though the second provisioning server computer and the electronic device did not have any shared secrets and did not have any cryptographic key data usable for secure communication between the second provisioning server computer and the electronic device prior to said introduction by said first provisioning server computer.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

delegating from the first provisioning server computer to the second provisioning server computer, a right to securely send a cryptographic asset from the second provisioning server computer to the electronic device, wherein the first provisioning server computer cannot decipher any cryptographic asset that is sent from the second provisioning server computer to the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the delegation message comprises:

inserting into the delegation message said encrypted association key, wherein the association key is to be used by the second provisioning server computer to enable subsequent execution of provisioning of a cryptographic asset to one or more electronic devices using said association key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the delegation message to the electronic device is performed via a one-pass one-way communication from the first provisioning server computer to said electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein provisioning the cryptographic asset to the electronic device is performed via a one-pass one-way communication from the second provisioning server computer to said electronic device.

8. A method of cryptographic material provisioning (CMP), the method comprising:

(a) generating a delegation message at a first provisioning server computer,

wherein the delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server computer to a second provisioning server computer with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device,

wherein generating the delegation message comprises at least one of;

(A) inserting into the delegation message an encrypted association key that was encrypted by the second provisioning server computer using a public key of said electronic device, wherein said association key is unknown to the first provisioning server computer, wherein said public key of said electronic device is usable to encrypt data for subsequent decrypting by said electronic device using said private encryption key of said electronic device;

(B) inserting into the delegation message a public key of the second provisioning server computer, enabling the electronic device to locally generate said association key unknown to the first provisioning server computer;

wherein the association key is retrievable by the second provisioning server computer based on the public key of the second provisioning server computer;

(b) delivering the delegation message from the first provisioning server computer to the electronic device;

(c) at the second provisioning server computer, provisioning one or more cryptographic assets to the electronic device, using said association key;

wherein generating the delegation message comprises;

inserting into the delegation message a public key of the second provisioning server computer, to enable execution of an identification protocol for subsequent personalized provisioning of a cryptographic asset to said electronic device.

9. A method of cryptographic material provisioning (CMP), the method comprising:

(a) generating a delegation message at a first provisioning server computer,

wherein the delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server computer to a second provisioning server computer with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device,

wherein generating the delegation message comprises at least one of;

(A) inserting into the delegation message an encrypted association key that was encrypted by the second provisioning server computer using a public key of said electronic device, wherein said association key is unknown to the first provisioning server computer, wherein said public key of said electronic device is usable to encrypt data for subsequent decrypting by said electronic device using said private encryption key of said electronic device;

(B) inserting into the delegation message a public key of the second provisioning server computer, enabling the electronic device to locally generate said association key unknown to the first provisioning server computer;

wherein the association key is retrievable by the second provisioning server computer based on the public key of the second provisioning server computer;

(b) delivering the delegation message from the first provisioning server computer to the electronic device;

(c) at the second provisioning server computer, provisioning one or more cryptographic assets to the electronic device, using said association key;

(d) provisioning from the first provisioning server computer to the electronic device, via a one-pass one-way provisioning protocol, at least;

(i) the public encryption key of the second provisioning server computer,

(ii) the server certificate of the second provisioning server computer, digitally signed by an authorization server computer, (iii) an indication of which cryptographic assets the second provisioning server is authorized to subsequently provision to the electronic device.

10. A method of cryptographic material provisioning (CMP), the method comprising:

(a) generating a delegation message at a first provisioning server computer,

wherein the delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server computer to a second provisioning server computer with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device,

wherein generating the delegation message comprises at least one of;

(A) inserting into the delegation message an encrypted association key that was encrypted by the second provisioning server computer using a public key of said electronic device, wherein said association key is unknown to the first provisioning server computer, wherein said public key of said electronic device is usable to encrypt data for subsequent decrypting by said electronic device using said private encryption key of said electronic device;

(B) inserting into the delegation message a public key of the second provisioning server computer, enabling the electronic device to locally generate said association key unknown to the first provisioning server computer;

wherein the association key is retrievable by the second provisioning server computer based on the public key of the second provisioning server computer;

(b) delivering the delegation message from the first provisioning server computer to the electronic device;

(c) at the second provisioning server computer, provisioning one or more cryptographic assets to the electronic device, using said association key;

wherein generating the delegation message comprises;

inserting into the delegation message one or more flags indicating to the electronic device whether the second provisioning server computer is authorized to provision;

(X) only personalized cryptographic assets, or (Y) only class-wide cryptographic assets for a class of multiple electronic devices, or (Z) both personalized and class-wide cryptographic assets.

11. A method of cryptographic material provisioning (CMP), the method comprising:

(a) generating a delegation message at a first provisioning server computer,

wherein the delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server computer to a second provisioning server computer with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device,

wherein generating the delegation message comprises at least one of;

(A) inserting into the delegation message an encrypted association key that was encrypted by the second provisioning server computer using a public key of said electronic device, wherein said association key is unknown to the first provisioning server computer, wherein said public key of said electronic device is usable to encrypt data for subsequent decrypting by said electronic device using said private encryption key of said electronic device;

(B) inserting into the delegation message a public key of the second provisioning server computer, enabling the electronic device to locally generate said association key unknown to the first provisioning server computer;

wherein the association key is retrievable by the second provisioning server computer based on the public key of the second provisioning server computer;

(b) delivering the delegation message from the first provisioning server computer to the electronic device;

(c) at the second provisioning server computer, provisioning one or more cryptographic assets to the electronic device, using said association key;

prior to provisioning a particular cryptographic asset from the second provisioning server computer to the electronic device, performing;

acquiring by the second provisioning server computer an authorization ticket, from an authorization server computer, indicating that the second provisioning server computer is authorized to provision the particular cryptographic asset to said electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said acquiring of the authorization ticket is triggered by a flag, indicating that authorization is required for each provisioning event performed by the second provisioning server computer, wherein the flag is located in a server certificate issued by said authorization server computer to the second provisioning server computer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the acquiring comprises:

at the second provisioning server computer, contacting the authorization server computer to present to the authorization server computer (A) a server certificate of the second provisioning server computer, and (B) a hash of the particular cryptographic asset intended to be provisioned by the second provisioning server computer to the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the acquiring further comprises:

receiving at the second provisioning server computer, from said authorization server computer, said authorization ticket which comprises a digital signature by the authorization server computer on the hash of the particular cryptographic asset intended to be provisioned by the second provisioning server computer to the electronic device;

wherein said digital signature enables said electronic device to verify said particular cryptographic asset prior to storing said particular cryptographic asset.

15. A system for cryptographic material provisioning (CMP), the system comprising:

a first provisioning server computer to generate a delegation message,

wherein the delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server computer to a second provisioning server computer with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device,

wherein the first provisioning server computer is to generate the delegation message by performing at least one of;

(A) inserting into the delegation message an encrypted association key that was encrypted by the second provisioning server computer using a public key of said electronic device, wherein said association key is unknown to the first provisioning server computer, wherein said public key of said electronic device is usable to encrypt data for subsequent decrypting by said electronic device using said private encryption key of said electronic device;

(B) inserting into the delegation message a public key of the second provisioning server computer;

enabling the electronic device to locally generate said association key unknown to the first provisioning server computer;

wherein the association key is retrievable by the second provisioning server computer based on the public key of the second provisioning server computer;

wherein, subsequent to delivery of the delegation message from the first provisioning server to the electronic device, the second provisioning server computer is to provision one or more cryptographic assets to the electronic device, using said association key;

wherein, prior to generation of the delegation message, the following items are securely delivered from the second provisioning server computer to the first provisioning server computer, via a secure communication channel, (A) a public encryption key of the second provisioning server computer, and (B) a class-wide association key encrypted with a key that allows the association key to be decrypted by said electronic device.