METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR IMPLEMENTING INTER-PROCESS INTEGRITY SERIALIZATION

• US 20080066177A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bender, Ernest S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for implementing inter-process integrity serialization services is provided. The method includes enabling process states including a must-stay-controlled (MSC) state and an extended must-stay-controlled (EMSC) state for an invoking process when it is determined that only programs designated as controlled, if any, have been loaded for the invoking process. The invoking process requests loading of a target program into temporary storage for performing a security service. Based upon a control indicator of the target program, the MSC state, and the EMSC state, the method includes controlling one or more activities within the temporary storage. The activities include loading the target program into the temporary storage, executing a main program in the temporary storage, and resetting the MSC state and the EMSC state across execution of the main program during the lifetime of the invoking process.

Claims

1. A method for implementing inter-process integrity serialization services, comprising:

enabling process states including a must-stay-controlled (MSC) state and an extended must-stay-controlled (EMSC) state for an invoking process when it is determined that only programs designated as controlled, if any, have been loaded for the invoking process, the invoicing process requesting loading of a target program into temporary storage for performing a security service; and

based upon a control indicator of the target program, the MSC state, and the EMSC state, controlling one or more activities within the temporary storage, comprising;

the loading of the target program into the temporary storage, the temporary storage accessible to the invoicing process;

execution of a main program in the temporary storage; and

reset of the MSC state and the EMSC state across execution of the main program during the lifetime of the invoicing process;

wherein programs are designated as controlled upon validation under security guidelines.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the main program clears the temporary storage of the invoking process before control is passed to another program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target program is loaded into the temporary storage when the control indicator reflects that the target program is controlled and the MSC state for the invoicing process is enabled.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a process control attribute of the invoicing process to reflect uncontrolled when the control indicator of the target program reflects that the target program is uncontrolled and when the MSC state is disabled; and

loading the target program into the temporary storage;

wherein programs are designated as uncontrolled if not validated under security guidelines or a failure responsive to validation under the security guidelines.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

resetting the MSC state for the invoking process when it is determined that the EMSC state is disabled; and

authorizing execution of the main program.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

denying the request to execute the main program when it is determined that the EMSC state is enabled and the control attribute of the target program reflects that the target program is uncontrolled.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

preserving the MSC state and the EMSC state of the invoking process when it is determined that the EMSC state is enabled and the control attribute of the target program reflects that the target program is controlled.

8. A system for implementing inter-process integrity serialization services, comprising:

a computer processing system; and

an inter-process integrity serialization service executing on the computer processing system, the inter-process integrity serialization service implementing a method, comprising;

enabling process states including a must-stay-controlled (MSC) state and an extended must-stay-controlled (EMSC) state for an invoking process when it is determined that only programs designated as controlled, if any, have been loaded for the invoking process, the invoking process requesting loading of a target program into temporary storage of the computer processing system for performing a security service; and

based upon a control indicator of the target program, the MSC state, and the EMSC state, controlling one or more activities within the temporary storage, comprising;

the loading of the target program into the temporary storage, the temporary storage accessible to the invoking process;

execution of a main program in the temporary storage; and

reset of the MSC state and the EMSC state across execution of the main program during the lifetime of the involving process;

wherein programs are designated as controlled upon validation under security guidelines.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the main program clears the temporary storage of the invoking process before control is passed to another program.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the target program is loaded into the temporary storage when the control indicator reflects that the target program is controlled and the MSC state for the invoking process is enabled.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the inter-process integrity serialization service further performs:

setting a process control attribute of the invoking process to reflect uncontrolled when the control indicator of the target program reflects that the target program is uncontrolled and when the MSC state is disabled; and

loading the target program into the temporary storage;

wherein programs are designated as uncontrolled if not validated under security guidelines or a failure responsive to validation under the security guidelines.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the inter-process integrity serialization service further performs:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

resetting the MSC state for the invoking process when it is determined that the EMSC state is disabled; and

authorizing execution of the main program.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the inter-process integrity serialization service further performs:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

denying the request to execute the main program when it is determined that the EMSC state is enabled and the control attribute of the target program reflects that the target program is uncontrolled; and

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

preserving the MSC state and the EMSC state of the involving process when it is determined that the EMSC state is enabled and the control attribute of the target program reflects that the target program is controlled.

14. A computer program product for implementing inter-process integrity serialization services, the computer program product executing instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, comprising:

enabling process states including a must-stay-controlled (MSC) state and an extended must-stay-controlled (EMSC) state for an invoking process when it is determined that only programs designated as controlled, if any, have been loaded for the invoking process, the invoking process requesting loading of a target program into temporary storage for performing a security service; and

based upon a control indicator of the target program, the MSC state, and the EMSC state, controlling one or more activities within the temporary storage, comprising;

the loading of the target program into the temporary storage, the temporary storage accessible to the invoking process;

execution of a main program in the temporary storage; and

reset of the MSC state and the EMSC state across execution of the main program during the lifetime of the invoking process;

wherein programs are designated as controlled upon validation under security guidelines.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the main program clears the temporary storage of the invoking process before control is passed to another program.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the target program is loaded into the temporary storage when the control indicator reflects that the target program is controlled and the MSC state for the invoking process is enabled.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for implementing:

setting a process control attribute of the invoicing process to reflect uncontrolled when the control indicator of the target program reflects that the target program is uncontrolled and when the MSC state is disabled; and

loading the target program into the temporary storage;

wherein programs are designated as uncontrolled if not validated under security guidelines or a failure responsive to validation under the security guidelines.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for implementing:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

resetting the MSC state for the invoicing process when it is determined that the EMSC state is disabled; and

authorizing execution of the main program.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for implementing:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

denying the request to execute the main program when it is determined that the EMSC state is enabled and the control attribute of the target program reflects that the target program is uncontrolled.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for implementing:

upon receiving a request to execute the main program;

preserving the MSC state and the EMSC state of the invoking process when it is determined that the EMSC state is enabled and the control attribute of the target program reflects that the target program is controlled.