US 12,095,933 B2
PUF-protected pseudo-homomorphic methods to generate session keys
Bertrand F. Cambou, Flagstaff, AZ (US); Donald A. Telesca, Rome, NY (US); and H. Shelton Jacinto, Rome, NY (US)
Assigned to Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ (US)
Filed by Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/879,697.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/228,564, filed on Aug. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0045288 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H04L 29/06 (2006.01); H04L 9/14 (2006.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01)
CPC H04L 9/3278 (2013.01) [H04L 9/14 (2013.01); H04L 9/3236 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of generating and using a session key at a server device having a first physical-unclonable-function (“PUF”) array of addressable of PUF devices, comprising:
receiving a first message digest, the first message digest comprising a password that has been iteratively hashed a first predetermined number of times according to a hashing method;
generating, from the first message digest, a series of PUF challenges;
applying the PUF challenges to the first array of addressable PUF devices;
receiving a first response bitstream from the first array of addressable PUF responses corresponding to the PUF challenges;
storing the first response bitstream;
receiving a second message digest, the second message digest comprising the password that has been iteratively hashed a second predetermined number of times by the hashing method, the second predetermined number of times being less than the first predetermined number of times;
iteratively performing the following steps n times until a stop condition is reached:
hashing the second message digest using the hashing method;
generating from the hashed second message a series of PUF challenges;
applying the PUF challenges to the first array of addressable PUF devices;
receiving a response bitstream from the first array of addressable PUF responses corresponding to the PUF challenges; and
comparing the received response bitstream to the first response bitstream, wherein the stop condition is reached when the received response bitstream matches the first response bitstream.