Robustness Analysis of Dynamic Watermarks

In this paper we consider previously known scheme of dynamic watermarks embedding (Ra- dix-n) that is used for preventing illegal use of software. According to the scheme a watermark is dynamic linked data structure (graph), which is created in memory during program execution. Hidden data, such as i...

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Main Author: Ivan V. Nechta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Joint Stock Company "Experimental Scientific and Production Association SPELS 2017-06-01
Series:Безопасность информационных технологий
Subjects:
Online Access:https://bit.mephi.ru/index.php/bit/article/view/107
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author Ivan V. Nechta
author_facet Ivan V. Nechta
author_sort Ivan V. Nechta
collection DOAJ
description In this paper we consider previously known scheme of dynamic watermarks embedding (Ra- dix-n) that is used for preventing illegal use of software. According to the scheme a watermark is dynamic linked data structure (graph), which is created in memory during program execution. Hidden data, such as information about author, can be represented in a different type of graph structure. This data can be extracted and demonstrated in judicial proceedings. This paper declared that the above mentioned scheme was previously one of the most reliable, has a number of features that allows an attacker to detect a stage of watermark construction in the program, and therefore it can be corrupted or deleted. The author of this article shows the weakness of Radix-N scheme, which consists in the fact that we can reveal dynamic data structures of a program by using information received from some API-functions hooker which catches function calls of dynamic memory allocation. One of these data structures is the watermark. Pointers on dynamically created objects (arrays, variables, class items, etc.) of a program can be detected by content analysis of computer's RAM. Different dynamic objects in memory interconnected by pointers form dynamic data structures of a program such as lists, stacks, trees and other graphs (including the watermark). Our experiment shows that in the vast majority of cases the amount of data structure in programs is small, which increases probability of a successful attack. Also we present an algorithm for finding connected components of a graph with linear time-consuming in cases where the number of nodes is about 106. On the basis of the experimental findings the new watermarking scheme has been presented, which is resistant to the proposed attack. It is offered to use different graph structure representation of a watermark, where edges are implemented using unique signatures. Our scheme uses content encrypting of graph nodes (except signature), so an attacker is not able to reveal links between nodes and find the watermark.
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spelling doaj.art-f93347a2e4fa4ebb97dc7f3473ad06b92023-09-02T02:36:38ZengJoint Stock Company "Experimental Scientific and Production Association SPELSБезопасность информационных технологий2074-71282074-71362017-06-01242728110.26583/bit.2017.2.08107Robustness Analysis of Dynamic WatermarksIvan V. Nechta0Sibirian state university of telecommunications and informatic sciences, Kirova st., 86, Novosibirsk, 630102, RussiaIn this paper we consider previously known scheme of dynamic watermarks embedding (Ra- dix-n) that is used for preventing illegal use of software. According to the scheme a watermark is dynamic linked data structure (graph), which is created in memory during program execution. Hidden data, such as information about author, can be represented in a different type of graph structure. This data can be extracted and demonstrated in judicial proceedings. This paper declared that the above mentioned scheme was previously one of the most reliable, has a number of features that allows an attacker to detect a stage of watermark construction in the program, and therefore it can be corrupted or deleted. The author of this article shows the weakness of Radix-N scheme, which consists in the fact that we can reveal dynamic data structures of a program by using information received from some API-functions hooker which catches function calls of dynamic memory allocation. One of these data structures is the watermark. Pointers on dynamically created objects (arrays, variables, class items, etc.) of a program can be detected by content analysis of computer's RAM. Different dynamic objects in memory interconnected by pointers form dynamic data structures of a program such as lists, stacks, trees and other graphs (including the watermark). Our experiment shows that in the vast majority of cases the amount of data structure in programs is small, which increases probability of a successful attack. Also we present an algorithm for finding connected components of a graph with linear time-consuming in cases where the number of nodes is about 106. On the basis of the experimental findings the new watermarking scheme has been presented, which is resistant to the proposed attack. It is offered to use different graph structure representation of a watermark, where edges are implemented using unique signatures. Our scheme uses content encrypting of graph nodes (except signature), so an attacker is not able to reveal links between nodes and find the watermark.https://bit.mephi.ru/index.php/bit/article/view/107dynamic watermarkingsteganography of executables
spellingShingle Ivan V. Nechta
Robustness Analysis of Dynamic Watermarks
Безопасность информационных технологий
dynamic watermarking
steganography of executables
title Robustness Analysis of Dynamic Watermarks
title_full Robustness Analysis of Dynamic Watermarks
title_fullStr Robustness Analysis of Dynamic Watermarks
title_full_unstemmed Robustness Analysis of Dynamic Watermarks
title_short Robustness Analysis of Dynamic Watermarks
title_sort robustness analysis of dynamic watermarks
topic dynamic watermarking
steganography of executables
url https://bit.mephi.ru/index.php/bit/article/view/107
work_keys_str_mv AT ivanvnechta robustnessanalysisofdynamicwatermarks