Title: Secure pairing of interface constrained devices

Authors: Claudio Soriente, Gene Tsudik, Ersin Uzun

Addresses: Computer Science Department, University of California, Irvine, USA. ' Computer Science Department, University of California, Irvine, USA. ' Computer Science Department, University of California, Irvine, USA

Abstract: Secure initial pairing of electronic gadgets is a challenging problem because of the usual lack of a common security infrastructure and the threat of so-called Man-in-the-Middle (MiTM) attacks. A number of techniques have been proposed to address the problem, but many are not applicable to devices lacking required interfaces, such as displays or speakers. In this paper, we introduce a new secure device pairing concept that involves using the human body either as the communication medium for – or the source of – the common secret. We implement the concept as a suite of practical pairing protocols for interface constrained devices.

Keywords: secure device pairing; secure pairing; human-assisted authentication; MiTM; man-in-the-middle attacks; electronic gadgets; human body; interface constrained devices; security.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSN.2009.023423

International Journal of Security and Networks, 2009 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.17 - 26

Published online: 23 Feb 2009 *

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