Shared secret vault for applications with single sign on

• US 10,049,224 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Momchilov, Georgy, Nordstrom, Ola
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin E
• Application Number:
  US15/455,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20170185787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0863 involving passwords or one-time passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for using one-time keys in a packet data network H04L63/067
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications

Abstract

Some aspects of the disclosure generally relate to providing single sign on features in mobile applications in a secure environment using a shared vault. An application may prompt a user to provide user entropy such as a passcode (e.g. a password and/or PIN). The application may use the user entropy to decrypt a user-entropy-encrypted vault key. Once the vault key is decrypted, the application may decrypt a vault database of the shared vault. The shared vault may store shared secrets, such as server credentials, and an unlock key. The application may store the unlock key, generate an unlock-key-encrypted vault key, and cause the shared vault to store the unlock-key-encrypted vault key, thereby “unlocking” the vault. The application may then use the unlock key to decrypt the vault database without prompting the user to provide user entropy again.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a computing device, a shared vault comprising a vault database encrypted using a vault key;

receiving, by a first application executing on the computing device, first user entropy from a user associated with the shared vault;

decrypting, by the first application, a first vault key record using the first user entropy to generate a first copy of the vault key;

decrypting, by the first application, the vault database using the first copy of the vault key;

accessing, by the first application and using the first copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve an unlock key, wherein the unlock key is operable to decrypt a second vault key record associated with the shared vault to generate a copy of the vault key;

storing the unlock key in application memory associated with the first application;

retrieving, by the first application, first network resource access credentials from a network service using user credentials associated with the user;

writing, by the first application, the first network resource access credentials to the vault database;

accessing, by a second application executing on the computing device and using second user entropy, the vault database to retrieve the unlock key;

decrypting, by the second application, the second vault key record using the unlock key to generate a second copy of the vault key, wherein a copy of the unlock key is stored in application memory associated with the second application; and

accessing, by the second application and using the second copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the first network resource access credentials.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating, by the first application, the second vault key record using the first copy of the vault key and the unlock key; and

storing the second vault key record in the shared vault.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vault key record is stored in the shared vault and is encrypted using a password associated with the user, and wherein the second vault key record is stored in a secured container that is secured using different user entropy, other than the password, associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein decrypting, by the second application, the second vault key record using the unlock key to generate the second copy of the vault key comprises:

receiving, by the second application, the different user entropy; and

decrypting, by the second application, the second vault key record using the unlock key and the different user entropy to generate the second copy of the vault key.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the different user entropy comprises a personal identification number (PIN) associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user entropy and the second user entropy each comprise a passcode corresponding to the user associated with the shared vault.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing, by the second application executing on the computing device and using second user entropy, the vault database to retrieve the unlock key comprises:

receiving, by the second application, the second user entropy from the user associated with the shared vault;

decrypting, by the second application, the first vault key record using the second user entropy to generate a third copy of the vault key;

decrypting, by the second application, the vault database using the third copy of the vault key; and

retrieving, by the second application, the unlock key from the vault database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the second application, the network service using the first network resource access credentials.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first vault key record is stored in the shared vault.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second vault key record is stored in the shared vault.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the vault database comprises:

a shared portion accessible by a plurality of applications that have access to the shared vault, wherein the plurality of applications comprises the first application and the second application; and

a first application portion accessible to the first application and encrypted using first application entropy associated with the first application.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the second application, an inactivity timer stored in the shared vault;

determining, by the second application, whether the inactivity timer indicates that a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed since the vault database was last accessed; and

in response to determining that the pre-determined amount of time has elapsed since the vault database was last accessed, deleting the second vault key record from the shared vault.

13. A method comprising:

generating, by a computing device, a shared vault comprising a vault database encrypted using a vault key;

receiving, by a first application executing on the computing device, user entropy from a user associated with the shared vault;

decrypting, by the first application, a first vault key record using the user entropy to generate a first copy of the vault key;

decrypting, by the first application, the vault database using the first copy of the vault key;

accessing, by the first application, the vault database to retrieve an unlock key;

generating, by the first application, a second vault key record using the first copy of the vault key and the unlock key;

storing, by the first application, the second vault key record in the shared vault;

retrieving, by the first application, first network resource access credentials from a network service using user credentials associated with the user;

writing, by the first application, the first network resource access credentials to the vault database;

decrypting, by a second application executing on the computing device, the second vault key record using the unlock key to generate a second copy of the vault key, wherein a copy of the unlock key is stored in application memory associated with the second application; and

accessing, by the second application and using the second copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the first network resource access credentials.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing, by the second application and using second user entropy, the vault database to retrieve the unlock key.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein accessing, by the second application executing on the computing device and using second user entropy, the vault database to retrieve the unlock key comprises:

receiving, by the second application, the second user entropy from the user associated with the shared vault;

decrypting, by the second application, the first vault key record using the second user entropy to generate a third copy of the vault key;

decrypting, by the second application, the vault database using the third copy of the vault key; and

retrieving, by the second application, the unlock key from the vault database.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

a shared vault stored in the memory and comprising a vault record storage section and a vault database, wherein the vault database is encrypted using a vault key;

a first application stored in the memory and comprising first instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive, by the first application, first user entropy from a user associated with the shared vault;

decrypt, by the first application, a first vault key record using the first user entropy to generate a first copy of the vault key;

decrypt, by the first application, the vault database using the first copy of the vault key;

access, by the first application and using the first copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the unlock key, wherein the unlock key is operable to decrypt the second vault key record associated with the shared vault to generate a copy of the vault key;

store the unlock key in application memory associated with the first application;

retrieve, by the first application, first network resource access credentials from a network service using user credentials associated with the user;

write, by the first application, the first network resource access credentials to the vault database; and

a second application stored in the memory and comprising second instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

access, by the second application and using second user entropy, the vault database to retrieve an unlock key;

decrypt, by the second application, a second vault key record using the unlock key to generate a second copy of the vault key, wherein a copy of the unlock key is stored in application memory associated with the second application; and

access, by the second application and using the second copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the first network resource access credentials.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to access, by the second application and using second user entropy, the vault database to retrieve the unlock key by causing the system to:

receive, by the second application, the second user entropy from the user associated with the shared vault;

decrypt, by the second application, the first vault key record using the second user entropy to generate a third copy of the vault key;

decrypt, by the second application, the vault database using the third copy of the vault key; and

retrieve, by the second application, the unlock key from the vault database.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

generate, by the first application, the second vault key record using the first copy of the vault key and the unlock key; and

store the second vault key record in the shared vault.