Patent ID: 8984635
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for authenticating an identity of an initiator of a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection, comprising: receiving, at a TCP receiver from a first TCP initiator, a first SYN segment that initiates a first TCP handshake between the first TCP initiator and a TCP server; extracting a first value from a first part of a predefined portion of the first SYN segment and a second value from a second part of the predefined portion of the first SYN segment, wherein the predefined portion of the first SYN segment is at least one of a sequence number field and a TCP options field; computing a third value using an authentication algorithm that includes at least using a cryptographic hash function that takes as input at least the following: responsive to determining that the computed third value matches the extracted first value from the first part of the predefined portion of the first SYN segment, allowing the first TCP handshake to continue; wherein the TCP receiver considers the matching of the computed third value and the extracted first value as proof that the identity of the first TCP initiator is authentic; receiving, at the TCP receiver from a second TCP initiator, a second SYN segment that initiates a second TCP handshake between the second TCP initiator and the TCP server; extracting a fourth value from a first part of a predefined portion of the second SYN segment and a fifth value from a second part of the predefined portion of the second SYN segment, wherein the predefined portion of the second SYN segment is at least one of a sequence number field and a TCP options field; computing a sixth value using the authentication algorithm that includes at least using the cryptographic hash function that takes as input at least the following: responsive to determining that the computed sixth value does not match the extracted fourth value from the first part of the predefined portion of the second SYN segment, discontinuing the second TCP handshake.