Granted Patent B1

US 9,800,610 · App. 14/850,989 · Granted Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

Claims (67)

1. A computer-implemented method for defeating relay attacks, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

buffering, in a memory buffer, an encoded signal that has been sent from a computing device to a remote device;

detecting, within a time interval of the encoded signal being sent, a second signal that corresponds to the encoded signal;

determining that a strength of the second signal is above a predetermined signal strength threshold, which is calculated based on a strength of an echo of a test signal sent from the computing device;

determining, based on the strength of the second signal being above the predetermined signal strength threshold, that the second signal represents a relay attack;

initiating a security action to defeat the relay attack.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the second signal that corresponds to the encoded signal comprises:

comparing content of the second signal to content of the encoded signal in the memory buffer;

determining that the content of the second signal is identical to the content of the encoded signal.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the second signal is received at a frequency of the encoded signal such that the second signal may interfere with reception of the encoded signal by the remote device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:

transmitting a second encoded signal to the remote device;

detecting, within a time interval of sending the second encoded signal, a third signal, wherein the third signal is received at a frequency of the second encoded signal such that the third signal may interfere with reception of the second encoded signal by the remote device;

detecting a fourth signal, wherein a content of the fourth signal is identical to the content of the encoded signal.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein:

the encoded signal includes a value in a code sequence;

the second encoded signal includes a subsequent value in the code sequence.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating, based on the strength of the second signal, an estimated distance of a signal relay device from the computing device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the security action comprises at least one of:

notifying an administrator of the relay attack;

broadcasting an audible alarm;

denying access to a function controlled by the computing device;

activating a secondary security system.

8. A system for defeating relay attacks, the system comprising:

a buffering module, stored in memory, that buffers, in a memory buffer, an encoded signal that has been sent from a computing device to a remote device;

a detection module, stored in memory, that detects, within a time interval of the encoded signal being sent, a second signal that corresponds to the encoded signal;

an analysis module, stored in memory, that:

determines that a strength of the second signal is above a predetermined signal strength threshold, which is calculated based on a strength of an echo of a test signal sent from the computing device;

determines, based on the strength of the second signal being above the predetermined signal strength threshold, that the second signal represents a relay attack;

a security module, stored in memory, that initiates a security action to defeat the relay attack;

at least one physical processor configured to execute the buffering module, the detection module, the analysis module, and the security module.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the detection module detects the second signal that corresponds to the encoded signal by:

comparing content of the second signal to content of the encoded signal in the memory buffer;

determining that the content of the second signal is identical to the content of the encoded signal.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the detection module receives the second signal at a frequency of the encoded signal such that the second signal may interfere with reception of the encoded signal by the remote device.

11. The system of claim 10 :

further comprising a transmission module, stored in memory, that transmits a second encoded signal to the remote device;

wherein the detection module:

detects, within a time interval of sending the second encoded signal, a third signal, wherein the third signal is received at a frequency of the second encoded signal such that the third signal may interfere with reception of the second encoded signal by the remote device;

detects a fourth signal, wherein a content of the fourth signal is identical to the content of the encoded signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the encoded signal includes a value in a code sequence;

the second encoded signal includes a subsequent value in the code sequence.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the security module calculates, based on the strength of the second signal, an estimated distance to a signal relay device.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the security action comprises at least one of:

notifying an administrator of the relay attack;

broadcasting an audible alarm;

denying access to a function controlled by the system;

activating a secondary security system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

buffer, in a memory buffer, an encoded signal that has been sent from a computing device to a remote device;

detect, within a time interval of the encoded signal being sent, a second signal that corresponds to the encoded signal;

determine that a strength of the second signal is above a predetermined signal strength threshold, which is calculated based on a strength of an echo of a test signal sent from the computing device;

determine, based on the strength of the second signal being above the predetermined signal strength threshold, that the second signal represents a relay attack;

initiate a security action to defeat the relay attack.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to detect the second signal that corresponds to the encoded signal by:

comparing content of the second signal to content of the encoded signal in the memory buffer;

determining that the content of the second signal is identical to the content of the encoded signal.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the second signal is received at a frequency of the encoded signal such that the second signal may interfere with reception of the encoded signal by the remote device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to:

transmit a second encoded signal to the remote device;

detect, within a time interval of sending the second encoded signal, a third signal, wherein the third signal is received at a frequency of the second encoded signal and may interfere with reception of the second encoded signal by the remote device;

detect a fourth signal, wherein a content of the fourth signal is identical to the content of the encoded signal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein:

the encoded signal includes a value in a code sequence;

the second encoded signal includes a subsequent value in the code sequence.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to calculate, based on the strength of the second signal, an estimated distance of a signal relay device from the computing device.

Assignments (6)