Method and network server for authenticating a communication apparatus

1. A method for authenticating by a network server a communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising a tamper resistant area adapted to memorize a first secret, the network server being configured to communicate with the communication apparatus through a wireless network and to read at least one data element memorized in a secure distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger is a database which is consensually replicated, shared, and synchronized geographically across multiple sites, countries, or institutions, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from the communication apparatus a request message comprising a subscriber identifier;

providing, by consulting a database accessible by the network server, a device identifier associated to the received subscriber identifier allowing to identify the communication apparatus;

identifying in the secure distributed ledger, using the device identifier, a record published by a manufacturer of at least a portion of the communication apparatus, said record comprising a second secret attributed to the identified communication apparatus;

generating a challenge message comprising a random number RAND and sending it to the communication apparatus for it to generate a first result F_HWRES derived from the first secret and the random number RAND, wherein the first secret and the random number RAND are used as inputs;

receiving from the communication apparatus a response message comprising the first result F_HWRES, the communication apparatus being authenticated by the network server if the first result F_HWRES is equal to a second result S_HWRES derived by the network server from the second secret and the random number RAND, which demonstrates that the first secret is equal to the second secret.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the subscription identifier is an IMSI.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device identifier is an IMEI.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first secret is a master key that is used to derive a first hardware diversification key F_HWDK.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second secret is a master key KMF memorized in the secure distributed ledger record published by a manufacturer of at least a portion of the communication apparatus.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second secret are respectively a first F_HWDK and a second S_HWDK diversification keys.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of identifying the manufacturer of the electronic circuit using a unique device identifier in order to ease the access to the second hardware diversification key memorized in the secured distributed ledger.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the request message is a 3GPP attachment request message comprising an IMSI.

9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the step of identifying the one or several algorithms used for determining the first and second hardware diversification keys, said algorithm being identified or memorized by in the record published by the manufacturer in the secure distributed ledger.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device authentication is triggered once the subscriber operating the communication device is successfully authenticated when another device is already authenticated using the same subscriber identifier.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the attempt to authenticate the communication device failed.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the database is implemented in the network server.

13. A network server configured to communicate with a communication apparatus through a wireless network adapted to:

receive from the communication apparatus a request message comprising a subscriber identifier;

provide, by consulting a database accessible by the network server, a device identifier associated to the received subscriber identifier allowing to identify the communication apparatus;

identify in a secure distributed ledger, using the device identifier, a record published by a manufacturer of at least a portion of the communication apparatus, said record comprising a second secret attributed to the identified communication apparatus, wherein the distributed ledger is a database which is consensually replicated, shared, and synchronized geographically across multiple sites, countries, or institutions;

generate a challenge message comprising a random number RAND and sending it to the communication apparatus for it to generate a first result F_HWRES derived from the first secret and the random number RAND, wherein the first secret and the random number RAND are used as inputs;

receive from the communication apparatus a response message comprising the first result F_HWRES, the communication apparatus being authenticated by the network server if the first result F_HWRES is equal to a second result S_HWRES derived by the network server from the second secret and the random number RAND, which demonstrates that the first secret is equal to the second secret.

14. The network server according to claim 13 wherein the subscription identifier is an IMSI.

15. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the device identifier is an IMEI.

16. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the first secret is a master key that is used to derive a first hardware diversification key F_HWDK.

17. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the second secret is a master key KMF memorized in the secure distributed ledger record published by a manufacturer of at least a portion of the communication apparatus.

18. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the first and second secret are respectively a first F_HWDK and a second S_HWDK diversification keys.

19. The network server according to claim 13 , comprising the step of identifying the manufacturer of the electronic circuit using a unique device identifier in order to ease the access to the second hardware diversification key memorized in the secured distributed ledger.

20. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the request message is a 3GPP attachment request message comprising an IMSI.

21. The network server according to claim 13 , comprising the step of identifying the one or several algorithms used for determining the first and second hardware diversification keys, said algorithm being identified or memorized by in the record published by the manufacturer in the secure distributed ledger.

22. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the device authentication is triggered once the subscriber operating the communication device is successfully authenticated when another device is already authenticated using the same subscriber identifier.

23. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the attempt to authenticate the communication device failed.

24. The network server according to claim 13 , wherein the database is implemented in the network server.

25. A non-transitory computer memory comprising computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to

receive from the communication apparatus a request message comprising a subscriber identifier;

provide, by consulting a database accessible by the network server, a device identifier associated to the received subscriber identifier allowing to identify the communication apparatus;

identify in a secure distributed ledger, using the device identifier, a record published by a manufacturer of at least a portion of the communication apparatus, said record comprising a second secret attributed to the identified communication apparatus, wherein the distributed ledger is a database which is consensually replicated, shared, and synchronized geographically across multiple sites, countries, or institutions;

generate a challenge message comprising a random number RAND and sending it to the communication apparatus for it to generate a first result F_HWRES derived from the first secret and the random number RAND, wherein the first secret and the random number RAND are used as inputs;

receive from the communication apparatus a response message comprising the first result F_HWRES, the communication apparatus being authenticated by the network server if the first result F_HWRES is equal to a second result S_HWRES derived by the network server from the second secret and the random number RAND, which demonstrates that the first secret is equal to the second secret.