Patent ID: 7881468

Claim:
A method for exchanging a Secret Authentication Key (SK bm ) between a Mobile node (MN) and a Correspondent Node (CN) within a Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) network, wherein the MN has a pair of asymmetric keys comprising a private key (K−) and a public key (K+) and wherein the MN has a first IPv6 address (HoA) valid in a home portion of the IPv6 network, the method comprising steps of: upon displacement of the MN from the home portion of the IPv6 network to a visited portion of the IPv6 network, setting a second IPv6 address (CoA) valid in the visited portion of the IPv6 network, the CoA being set in addition to the HoA; sending an establishment message from the MN addressed to the CN through a Home Agent (HA) associated to the MN, wherein the establishment message advertises the CoA and wherein the HA is located in the home portion of the Mobile IPv6; upon reception of the establishment message at the CN: sending from the CN a first address test to the MN addressed to the HoA, wherein the first address test comprises a first portion of a secret data; and sending from the CN a second address test to the MN addressed to the CoA, wherein the second address test comprises a second portion of the secret data and wherein the secret data comprises only the first and second portions; and where the SK bm and the secret data are different; upon reception of the first address test and the second address test at the MN, sending the secret data back to the CN in a single confirmation message, wherein the confirmation message is signed by the MN using the K−; and upon reception of the confirmation message at the CN, sending an acknowledgement message to the MN addressed to the CoA, wherein the acknowledgement message comprises the SK bm and wherein at least the SK bm is encrypted in the acknowledgement message using the K+ of the MN.