Non-intrusive security enforcement for federated single sign-on (SSO)

• US 10,243,946 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netskope Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Netskope Incorporated
• Inventors: Sridhar, Kartik Kumar Chatnalli Deshpande, Cheng, Lebin, Narayanaswamy, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gundry, Stephen T
• Application Number:
  US15/795,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3265 using certificate chains, trees or paths; Hierarchical trust model

Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to non-intrusively enforcing security during federated single sign-on (SSO) authentication without modifying a trust relationship between a service provider (SP) and an identity provider (IDP). In particular, it relates to configuring the IDP to use a proxy-URL for forwarding an assertion generated when a user logs into the SP, in place of an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP. It also relates to configuring an assertion proxy, at the proxy-URL, to use the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL for forwarding the assertion to the SP. It further relates to inserting the assertion proxy in between the user'"'"'s client and an ACS of the SP by forwarding the assertion to the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL to establish a federated SSO authenticated session through the inserted assertion proxy.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of non-intrusively enforcing security during federated single sign-on (SSO) authentication without modifying a trust relationship between a service provider (SP) and an identity provider (IDP), the method including:

establishing the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

generating an assertion at the IDP when a user logs into the SP, identifying the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL in the generated assertion, and digitally signing the generated assertion using an IDP-certificate;

configuring the IDP to encrypt the signed assertion using a proxy-public key of an assertion proxy and to forward the encrypted assertion to a proxy-URL of the assertion proxy instead of the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL;

decrypting the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy with a complementary proxy-private key and forwarding the decrypted assertion to an ACS of the SP using the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL identified in the decrypted assertion; and

preserving, without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by validating the decrypted assertion at the SP using the IDP'"'"'s public key to establish a federated SSO authenticated session through the assertion proxy.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s client is an unmanaged device;

encoding the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL with an added reverse proxy-domain at the inserted assertion proxy and forwarding the decrypted assertion to a reverse proxy via the user'"'"'s client with a validation token;

after validating the validation token, stripping the reverse proxy-domain at the reverse proxy and forwarding the decrypted assertion to a network security system;

evaluating the decrypted assertion at the network security system based on one or more security policies and forwarding the evaluated assertion to the SP'"'"'s ACS; and

rewriting, at the reverse proxy, URLs contained in pages served by the SP with rewritten URLs that redirect subsequent traffic from the user'"'"'s client during the federated SSO authenticated session through the reverse proxy.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the assertion proxy and the reverse proxy are combined and hosted as a single proxy.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the security policies are enforced at the assertion proxy, including allowing or blocking access to the SP based on IDP provided information in the assertion and verification of IDP'"'"'s identity by the assertion proxy in dependence upon the IDP'"'"'s public key configured at the assertion proxy.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the IDP uses a Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) protocol.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further including:

receiving the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy via the user'"'"'s client.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the IDP uses a Web Services (WS)-Federation protocol for active authentication.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further including:

receiving the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy from the IDP.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the assertion proxy is a cloud service hosted by a cloud access service broker (CASB).

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the assertion proxy is different from the IDP and hosted by a CASB separate from an IDaaS hosting the IDP.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

configuring one or more IDPs to use the proxy-URL, in place of ACS-URLs of multiples SPs, and to encrypt the assertions using the proxy-public key.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

re-encrypting the decrypted assertion at the assertion proxy using a public key of the SP and forwarding the re-encrypted assertion to ACS of the SP.

13. A computer-implemented method of non-intrusive security enforcement for federated single sign-on (SSO) authentication, the method including:

establishing a trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

configuring an identity provider (IDP) to use a proxy-unified resource locator (URL) for forwarding an assertion that identifies the SP'"'"'s (ACS)-URL and is generated when a user logs into a service provider (SP), in place of using an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP, and to encrypt the assertion using a proxy-public key;

configuring an assertion proxy, at the proxy-URL, to use the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL for forwarding;

receiving the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy and decrypting the encrypted assertion with a complementary proxy-private key; and

preserving, without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by inserting the assertion proxy in between the user'"'"'s client and an ACS of the SP by forwarding the decrypted assertion to the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL for the SP to validate the assertion using the IDP'"'"'s public key and establish a federated single sign-on (SSO) authenticated session through the inserted assertion proxy.

14. A computer-implemented method of non-intrusively enforcing security during federated single sign-on (SSO) authentication without modifying a trust relationship between a service provider (SP) and an identity provider (IDP), the method including:

establishing the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

configuring the IDP to forward an assertion that identifies the SP'"'"'s assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL and is generated when a user logs into the SP to an assertion proxy instead of an assertion consumer service of the SP;

evaluating the assertion against one or more security policies using the assertion proxy and forwarding the evaluated assertion to the SP; and

preserving without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by validating the evaluated assertion at the SP using the certification of the IDP to establish a federated SSO authenticated session through the assertion proxy.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to non-intrusively enforcing security during federated single sign-on (SSO) authentication without modifying a trust relationship between a service provider (SP) and an identity provider (IDP), the instructions, when executed on a processor, implement a method comprising:

establishing the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

generating an assertion at the IDP when a user logs into the SP, identifying the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL in the generated assertion, and digitally signing the generated assertion using an IDP-certificate;

configuring the IDP to encrypt the signed assertion using a proxy-public key of an assertion proxy and to forward the encrypted assertion to a proxy-URL of the assertion proxy instead of the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL;

decrypting the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy with a complementary proxy-private key and forwarding the decrypted assertion to an ACS of the SP using the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL identified in the decrypted assertion; and

preserving, without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by validating the decrypted assertion at the SP using the IDP'"'"'s public key to establish a federated SSO authenticated session through the assertion proxy.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to conduct non-intrusive security enforcement for federated single sign-on (SSO) authentication, the instructions, when executed on a processor, implement a method comprising:

establishing a trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

configuring an identity provider (IDP) to use a proxy-unified resource locator (URL) for forwarding an assertion that identifies the SP'"'"'s (ACS)-URL and is generated when a user logs into a service provider (SP), in place of using an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP, and to encrypt the assertion using a proxy-public key;

configuring an assertion proxy, at the proxy-URL, to use the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL for forwarding;

receiving the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy and decrypting the encrypted assertion with a complementary proxy-private key; and

preserving, without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by inserting the assertion proxy in between the user'"'"'s client and an ACS of the SP by forwarding the decrypted assertion to the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL for the SP to validate the assertion using the IDP'"'"'s public key and establish a federated single sign-on (SSO) authenticated session through the inserted assertion proxy.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium impressed with computer program instructions to non-intrusively enforce security during federated single sign-on (SSO) authentication without modifying a trust relationship between a service provider (SP) and an identity provider (IDP), the instructions, when executed on a processor, implement a method comprising:

establishing the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

configuring the IDP to forward an assertion that identifies the SP'"'"'s assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL and is generated when a user logs into the SP to an assertion proxy instead of an assertion consumer service of the SP;

evaluating the assertion against one or more security policies using the assertion proxy and forwarding the evaluated assertion to the SP; and

preserving without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by validating the evaluated assertion at the SP using the certification of the IDP to establish a federated SSO authenticated session through the assertion proxy.

18. A system including one or more processors coupled to memory, the memory loaded with computer instructions, the instructions, when executed on the processors, implement a method including:

establishing the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

generating an assertion at the IDP when a user logs into the SP, identifying the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL in the generated assertion, and digitally signing the generated assertion using an IDP-certificate;

configuring the IDP to encrypt the signed assertion using a proxy-public key of an assertion proxy and to forward the encrypted assertion to a proxy-URL of the assertion proxy instead of the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL;

decrypting the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy with a complementary proxy-private key and forwarding the decrypted assertion to an ACS of the SP using the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL identified in the decrypted assertion; and

preserving, without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by validating the decrypted assertion at the SP using the IDP'"'"'s public key to establish a federated SSO authenticated session through the assertion proxy.

19. A system including one or more processors coupled to memory, the memory loaded with computer instructions, the instructions, when executed on the processors, implement a method including:

establishing a trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

configuring an identity provider (IDP) to use a proxy-unified resource locator (URL) for forwarding an assertion that identifies the SP'"'"'s (ACS)-URL and is generated when a user logs into a service provider (SP), in place of using an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP, and to encrypt the assertion using a proxy-public key;

configuring an assertion proxy, at the proxy-URL, to use the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL for forwarding;

receiving the encrypted assertion at the assertion proxy and decrypting the encrypted assertion with a complementary proxy-private key; and

preserving, without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by inserting the assertion proxy in between the user'"'"'s client and an ACS of the SP by forwarding the decrypted assertion to the SP'"'"'s ACS-URL for the SP to validate the assertion using the IDP'"'"'s public key and establish a federated single sign-on (SSO) authenticated session through the inserted assertion proxy.

20. A system including one or more processors coupled to memory, the memory loaded with computer instructions, the instructions, when executed on the processors, implement a method including:

establishing the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by configuring a SSO-unified resource locator (URL) and a public key of the IDP at the SP and configuring an assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL of the SP at the IDP;

configuring the IDP to forward an assertion that identifies the SP'"'"'s assertion consumer service (ACS)-URL and is generated when a user logs into the SP to an assertion proxy instead of an assertion consumer service of the SP;

evaluating the assertion against one or more security policies using the assertion proxy and forwarding the evaluated assertion to the SP; and

preserving without modifying the trust relationship between the SP and the IDP by validating the evaluated assertion at the SP using the certification of the IDP to establish a federated SSO authenticated session through the assertion proxy.