Layer 4 — Protocol v0.9 Foundation

VINAC-FM

Verified Identity via Near-field Acoustic Cryptography

The highest assurance verification layer in the SilentAuth stack. Proves physical device proximity using inaudible ultrasonic frequency modulation, bound to a cryptographic challenge — no extra hardware required.

The SilentAuth Verification Stack

VINAC-FM sits at the top of a layered defense model. Each layer is only invoked when the previous one is insufficient.

Layer 1

Invisible Pass

Risk scoring, fingerprinting, and behavioral analysis — no user friction

Layer 2

Challenge

Checkbox and slider challenges for elevated risk scores

Layer 3

Cryptographic PoW

Signed cryptographic proof-of-work for high-risk sessions

Layer 4

VINAC-FM

Acoustic proximity verification — physical presence required

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How It Works

Five steps from challenge issuance to certificate delivery

01

Challenge Issued

Server issues a nonce-bound VINAC challenge tied to the active verification session. The challenge specifies the required frequency band and duration.

02

Acoustic Emission

The authenticating device emits a frequency-modulated ultrasonic pulse encoding the challenge nonce. The signal is imperceptible to human hearing.

03

Proximity Capture

A second microphone (or the same device's mic, for same-device binding) captures and decodes the ultrasonic signal, extracting the nonce.

04

Cryptographic Binding

The received nonce is signed with the device's attestation key and returned to the SilentAuth verifier alongside the original session token.

05

Certificate Issued

On signature verification and acoustic match, a short-lived VINAC certificate is issued and embedded in the session receipt — proving physical presence.

Use Cases

High-Value Transactions

Require physical device presence before authorizing wire transfers, crypto withdrawals, or large purchases

AI Agent Execution Gates

Bind execution permits to physical operator presence for critical AI agent actions

Infrastructure Changes

Prevent remote attackers from executing deployment or infrastructure mutations even with stolen credentials

Identity Binding

Confirm the physical human behind the digital session — not just their token

Regulatory Compliance

Meet SCA (Strong Customer Authentication) and physical presence requirements for PSD2, HIPAA, and SOC 2

Key Ceremony Operations

Require in-person presence for secret rotation, HSM access, and certificate authority operations

Protocol Specification Highlights

Frequency Range16–20 kHz
Challenge Duration1–5 seconds
Certificate TTLConfigurable, up to 24h
Signing AlgorithmRS256 + ECDSA
Proximity Bound< 0.5m (configurable)
FallbackLayer 3 PoW

Integration

JavaScript SDK

import { SilentAuth } from '@silentauth/js';

const sa = new SilentAuth({ publicKey: 'pk_live_…' });

// Request VINAC-FM Layer 4 challenge
const { sessionId } = await sa.verification.create({
  layers: [1, 2, 3, 4], // include VINAC
});

// Emit acoustic challenge
await sa.vinac.emitChallenge(sessionId, {
  frequency: 'ultrasonic_18khz',
  duration: 3000,
});

// Listen and capture on the same or nearby device
const proof = await sa.vinac.captureResponse(sessionId);
const receipt = await sa.verification.complete(proof);

Device Requirements

Web Audio API support (Chrome 60+, Firefox 60+, Safari 14.1+)
Microphone and speaker access
HTTPS origin (required for microphone access)
No additional hardware — standard device audio hardware only

Availability

VINAC-FM is available on the Business and Enterprise plans. Protocol v1.0 is in active development. See the roadmap →

VINAC-FM is the transport layer for Logos Lexicon

Logos Lexicon is the semantic intent protocol that runs above VINAC-FM. VINAC-FM proves the signal is physically legitimate; Logos Lexicon defines what that signal authorizes — through a closed vocabulary of pre-agreed semantic tokens resolved locally, with no instruction parsing or injection surface.

Learn about Logos Lexicon

The last mile of identity assurance

When tokens, passwords, and behavioral signals are not enough — prove the human is physically present.