Integrity protection with message authentication codes having different lengths
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorChih-Hsiang Wu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method in a user device that supports a plurality of message authentication code (MAC) lengths for integrity protection of wireless communications includes receiving, from a base station, a first message including an information element (1002), determining, based on the information element, that a first MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths is to be used for integrity protection (1004) and, thereafter, generating a second message including a MAC having the first MAC length (1006). The method also includes transmitting the second message to the base station (1008).
Claims25
A method in a user device that supports a plurality of message authentication code (MAC) lengths for integrity protection of wireless communications, the method comprising:
- receiving, by processing hardware and from a base station, a first message including (i) an information element indicating a first MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths and (ii) a MAC having a second MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths;
- determining, by the processing hardware and based on the information element, that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection;
- after determining that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection, generating, by the processing hardware, a second message including a MAC having the first MAC length;
- and
- transmitting the second message to the base station.
-5. (canceled)
(canceled)
A method in a base station that supports a plurality of message authentication code (MAC) lengths for integrity protection of wireless communications, the method comprising:
- determining, by processing hardware, that a first MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths is to be used for integrity protection;
- generating, by the processing hardware, a first message including (i) an information element indicating that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection and (ii) a MAC having a second MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths;
- transmitting the first message to a user device;
- after transmitting the first message, receiving, by the processing hardware and from the user device, a second message including a MAC having the first MAC length;
- computing, by the processing hardware, an expected MAC having the first MAC length;
- and
- comparing, by the processing hardware, the expected MAC to the MAC in the second message to verify that the MAC in the second message is a valid MAC.
-17. (canceled)
The method of claimer 11, wherein:
- generating the first message includes generating a first radio resource control (RRC) message;
- determining that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection includes determining that the first MAC length is to be used for user plane messages;
- receiving the second message includes receiving a message including a data packet over a data radio bearer (DRB);
- and
- the method further comprises receiving, by the processing hardware and from the user device, a third message including a second RRC message and an additional MAC having the second MAC length or a third MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths.
(canceled)
A method in one or more core network elements, the method comprising:
- receiving, by processing hardware and from either a first base station or a second base station, a first message including a first information element;
- determining, by processing hardware and based on the first information element, that a user device supports a first message authentication code (MAC) length, of a plurality of MAC lengths supported by the first base station, for integrity protection;
- generating, by the processing hardware, a second message including a second information element indicating that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection of wireless communications between the first base station and the user device;
- and
- transmitting the second message to the first base station to configure the first base station to use the first MAC length for wireless communications with the user device.
(canceled)
A user device comprising hardware and supporting a plurality of message authentication code (MAC) lengths for integrity protection of wireless communications, the user device being configured to:
- receive, from a base station, a first message including (i) an information element indicating a first MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths and (ii) a MAC having a second MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths;
- determine, based on the information element, that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection;
- after determining that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection, generate a second message including a MAC having the first MAC length;
- and
- transmit the second message to the base station.
A base station comprising hardware and supporting a plurality of message authentication code (MAC) lengths for integrity protection of wireless communications, the base station being configured to:
- determine that a first MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths is to be used for integrity protection;
- generate a first message including (i) an information element indicating that the first MAC length is to be used for integrity protection and (ii) a MAC having a second MAC length of the plurality of MAC lengths;
- transmit the first message to a user device;
- after transmitting the first message, receive from the user device a second message including a MAC having the first MAC length;
- compute an expected MAC having the first MAC length;
- and
- compare the expected MAC to the MAC in the second message to verify that the MAC in the second message is a valid MAC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.