System and method for message encryption and signing in a transaction processing system

• US 20020138735A1
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Felt, Edward P., Wells, John R., Felt, Sandra V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method which utilizes a combination of message-based encryption and message-based digital signing to ensure the security and authenticity of a message or message buffer sent from one party or process to another in a transaction processing system. In one embodiment the invention includes a method comprising the steps of: creating an encryption envelope by encrypting a message buffer, signing the encrypted contents of said message buffer with a digital signature, sending said encryption envelope from the sender process to the recipient process, receiving the encryption envelope at the recipient process, decrypting said encryption envelope to retrieve said message, and verifying the identity of the sender process by retrieving the digital signature from the encryption envelope. The invention allows intermediate recipients to inspect the message, and provides for reliable authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and non-repudiation, of communicated messages.

Claims

1. A method for secure communication of a message from a first server process to a second server process in a transactional processing system, comprising the steps of:

marking a message buffer for encryption;

marking said message buffer for attachment of a digital signature;

creating an encryption envelope by encrypting said message buffer, and signing the encrypted contents of said message buffer with a digital signature; and

,

sending said encryption envelope from the sender process to the recipient process.

2. A method for verifying secure communication of a message from a first server process to a second server process in a transactional processing system, comprising the steps of:

receiving an encryption envelope from a sender process;

importing said encryption envelope into a message buffer content readable by said recipient process;

decrypting said encryption envelope to retrieve said message; and

,

verifying the identity of the sender process by retrieving said digital signature from said encryption envelope.

3. A method for secure communication of a message from a first server process to a second server process in a transactional processing system, comprising the steps of:

storing as content in a message buffer, a message from a first server process or sender process, for delivery to a second server process or recipient process;

exporting the contents of said message buffer to an external representation of said message buffer, said step of exporting includes the substeps of

marking said message buffer for encryption,

marking said message buffer for attachment of a digital signature identifying the sender process, and,

creating an encryption envelope by encrypting said message buffer, and signing the encrypted contents of said message buffer with a digital signature;

sending said encryption envelope from the sender process to the recipient process; and

,

importing said encryption envelope into a message buffer content readable by said recipient process, said step of importing includes the substeps of

decrypting said encryption envelope to retrieve said message; and

,

verifying the identity of the sender process by retireiving said digital signature from said encryption envelope.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the sender process and the recipient process are transaction software processes running on a computer.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the message is a portion or all of the content of a message buffer used to hold messages for communication between said sender process and said recipient process.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of storing includes a step of preparing said portion or all of the content of said message buffer for communication to said recipient process.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of encrypting includes the substeps of:

generating at said sender process a message key;

combining said message key with the contents of said message buffer to create an encrypted message buffer;

generating a decryption key from a public key associated with said recipient process; and

,

placing said encrypted message and said decryption key in said encryption envelope.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of signing includes the steps of:

generating a message digest from said message buffer;

retrieving a private key associated with said sender process; and

,

combining said message digest with said private key to create a digital signature; and

,

placing said digital signature in said encryption envelope.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of decrypting includes the steps of:

receiving said encryption envelope;

combining said encryption envelope with a private key associated with said recipient process;

retrieving said decryption key;

using said decryption key to retrieve said encrypted message; and

,

decrypting said encrypted message to retrieve said message.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of verifying includes the steps of:

receiving a message including said digital signature;

generating a first message digest from said digital signature;

generating a second message digest, said step of generating a second message digest including the steps of

retrieving a public key associated with said sender process, and,

combining said senders public key with said digital signature to generate a second message digest; and

,

comparing said first and second message digest to determine the validity of the digital signature sent with the message.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of sending includes sending said message via an intermediate recipient, said step of sending said message via an intermediate recipient includes the substeps of

placing at said send process said encryption envelope in a second encryption envelope;

receiving at said intermediate process said encryption envelope;

verifying the identity of the sender process by retrieving said digital signature from said encryption envelope; and

,

if said identity is valid, forwarding said encryption envelope to said recipient process.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the sender process and the recipient process are transaction software processes running on a computer.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the message is a portion or all of the content of a message buffer used to hold messages for communication between said sender process and said recipient process.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said instructions for storing includes a step of preparing said portion or all of the content of said message buffer for communication to said recipient process.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions for encrypting includes the substeps of:

generating at said sender process a message key;

combining said message key with the contents of said message buffer to create an encrypted message buffer;

generating a decryption key from a public key associated with said recipient process; and

,

placing said encrypted message and said decryption key in said encryption envelope.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions for signing includes the steps of:

generating a message digest from said message buffer;

retrieving a private key associated with said sender process; and

,

combining said message digest with said private key to create a digital signature; and

,

placing said digital signature in said encryption envelope.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said instructions for decrypting includes the steps of:

receiving said encryption envelope;

combining said encryption envelope with a private key associated with said recipient process;

retrieving said decryption key;

using said decryption key to retrieve said encrypted message; and

,

decrypting said encrypted message to retrieve said message.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said instructions for verifying includes the steps of:

receiving a message including said digital signature;

generating a first message digest from said digital signature;

generating a second message digest, said step of generating a second message digest including the steps of

retrieving a public key associated with said sender process, and,

combining said senders public key with said digital signature to generate a second message digest; and

,

comparing said first and second message digest to determine the validity of the digital signature sent with the message.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions for sending includes sending said message via an intermediate recipient, said step of sending said message via an intermediate recipient includes computer-readable instructions for performing the substeps of

placing at said send process said encryption envelope in a second encryption envelope;

receiving at said intermediate process said encryption envelope;

verifying the identity of the sender process by retrieving said digital signature from said encryption envelope; and

,

if said identity is valid, forwarding said encryption envelope to said recipient process.

12. A system for secure communication of a message from a first server process to a second server process in a transactional processing system, comprising computer-readable instructions for performing the steps of:

storing as content in a message buffer, a message from a first server process or sender process, for delivery to a second server process or recipient process;

exporting the contents of said message buffer to an external representation of said message buffer, via a tpexport( ) function, said step of exporting includes the substeps of

marking, using a tpseal( ) function, said message buffer for encryption,

marking, using a tpsign( ) function, said message buffer for attachment of a digital signature identifying the sender process, and,

creating an encryption envelope by encrypting said message buffer, and signing the encrypted contents of said message buffer with a digital signature;

sending said encryption envelope from the sender process to the recipient process; and

,

importing said encryption envelope, via a tpimport( ) function, into a message buffer content readable by said recipient process, said step of importing includes the substeps of

decrypting said encryption envelope to retrieve said message; and

,

verifying the identity of the sender process by retireiving said digital signature from said encryption envelope.