IP Library Granted Patent US 12,587,846
Granted Patent B2
US 12,587,846 · App. 18/379,867 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Device, method and computer readable medium for resisting downgrade attacks

Inventors: Rui Chen (Shenzhen, CN); Lijie Niu (Shenzhen, CN); Linzhou Cai (Shenzhen, CN); Li Wang (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
H04W12/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,587,846
App. No.
18/379,867
Filed
Oct 13, 2023
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2437
USPC
726/1
Abstract

A device and method and computer readable medium for resisting downgrade attacks. User equipment includes a memory having instructions stored thereon and a processor configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory to cause the user equipment to perform the following operations: determining a security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to a network device for the first time; and in response to determining that the security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to the network device for the first time is WPA3, applying the only-WPA3 rule; where the only-WPA3 rule only allows the user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and refuses the user equipment to use other security authentication types with lower security than WPA3 to access the network device.

Claims (54)

1 . User equipment, comprising:

a memory having instructions stored thereon;

a processor configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory to cause the user equipment to carry out the following operations:

determining a security authentication type when the user equipment accesses a network device for a first time;

in response to determining that the security authentication type when the user equipment accesses the network device for the first time is WIFI Protected Access 3 (WPA3), applying an only-WPA3 rule;

determining if the user equipment is in a connected state;

when the network device is determined to be in a WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2) mode, receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule while the user equipment is in the connected state; and

in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule,

wherein the only-WPA3 rule only allows the user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and does not allow the user equipment to use other security authentication types with lower security than WPA3 to access the network device.

2 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the network device is in WPA3 transition mode, and the WPA3 transition mode allows WPA3-enabled user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and also allows WPA2-enabled user equipment to use WPA2 to access the network device.

3 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the other security authentication types comprise at least one of wired equivalent privacy (WEP), WIFI Protected Access (WPA), or WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2).

4 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory to cause the user equipment to perform the following operation:

in a case of applying the only-WPA3 rule, when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device, using WPA3 for access.

5 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory to cause the user equipment to perform the following operations:

receiving a user input for deleting the only-WPA3 rule; and

in response to receiving the user input, deleting the only-WPA3 rule.

6 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory to cause the user equipment to perform one or more following operations:

receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state, in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule, and in a case of deleting the only-WPA3 rule, when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device, using WPA2 for access; and

receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state, in response to receiving user input, deleting the only-WPA3 rule, and in the case of deleting the only-WPA3 rule, when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device, using WPA2 for access.

7 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory to cause the user equipment to perform the following operation:

determining a service set identifier (SSID) and a medium access control (MAC) address of the network device upon accessing the network device for the first time, so as to identify the network device.

8 . A method executed by user equipment, wherein the method comprises:

determining a security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to a network device for a first time; and

in response to determining that the security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to the network device for the first time is WIFI Protected Access 3 (WPA3), applying an only-WPA3 rule,

wherein the only-WPA3 rule only allows the user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and does not allow the user equipment to use other security authentication types with lower security than WPA3 to access the network device, and

wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode and upon determining that the user equipment is in a connected state, the method further comprises any one or more of:

receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state and, in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule, and when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device after deleting the only-WPA3 rule, using WPA2 for access; and

receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state and, in response to receiving user input, deleting the only-WPA3 rule, and, when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device after deleting the only-WPA3 rule, using WPA2 for access.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the network device is in WPA3 transition mode, and the WPA3 transition mode allows WPA3-enabled user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and also allows WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2)-enabled user equipment to use WPA2 to access the network device.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the other security authentication types comprise at least one of wired equivalent privacy (WEP), WIFI Protected Access (WPA), or WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2).

11 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

in a case of applying the only-WPA3 rule, when the user equipment is re-connected to the network device, using WPA3 for access.

12 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode, the method further comprises:

receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state; and

in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule.

13 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode, the method further comprises:

receiving a user input for deleting the only-WPA3 rule; and

in response to receiving the user input, deleting the only-WPA3 rule.

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of user equipment, cause the user equipment to perform the following operations:

determining a security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to a network device for a first time; and

in response to determining that the security authentication type when the user equipment is connected to the network device for the first time is WIFI Protected Access 3 (WPA3), applying an only-WPA3 rule;

determining if the user equipment is in a connected state;

when the network device is determined to be in a WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2) mode, receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule while the user equipment is in the connected state; and

in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule,

wherein the only-WPA3 rule only allows the user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and does not allow the user equipment to use other security authentication types with lower security than WPA3 to access the network device.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the network device is in WPA3 transition mode, and the WPA3 transition mode allows WPA3-enabled user equipment to use WPA3 to access the network device, and also allows WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2)-enabled user equipment to use WPA2 to access the network device.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein the other security authentication types comprise at least one of wired equivalent privacy (WEP), WIFI Protected Access (WPA), or WIFI Protected Access 2 (WPA2).

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor of the user equipment, cause the user equipment to perform the following operations:

receiving a notification from the network device to delete the only-WPA3 rule in the connected state;

in response to receiving the notification, deleting the only-WPA3 rule; and

using WPA2 to access the network device.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein when the network device becomes in WPA2 mode, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor of the user equipment, cause the user equipment to perform the following operations:

receiving a user input for deleting the only-WPA3 rule;

in response to receiving the user input, deleting the only-WPA3 rule; and using WPA2 to access the network device.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2026
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 075476/0814 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 067620/0675 Recorded Jan 12, 2026
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 074593/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL/FRAME 067620/0717 Recorded Dec 19, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 069743/0220 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2024
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC; COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC; COMMSCOPE INC., OF NORTH CAROLINA; OUTDOOR WIRELESS NETWORKS LLC; RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
To: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC
Reel/Frame 069889/0114 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM) Recorded Jun 4, 2024
From: RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067620/0717 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Jun 4, 2024
From: RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067620/0675 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2024
From: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
To: RUCKUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 066399/0561 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2023
From: CHEN, RUI; NIU, LIJIE; CAI, LINZHOU; WANG, LI
To: ARRIS ENTERPRISES LLC
Reel/Frame 065213/0405 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202211285459.1 · Oct 20, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Related Publication 20240137760A1 · Apr 25, 2024
Related Publication 20240236666A9 · Jul 11, 2024
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