METHOD FOR APPLICATION MANAGEMENT, CORRESPONDING SYSTEM, AND USER DEVICE

• US 20150026827A1
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Kao, Ming-Chih, Pan, Yu-Hsuan, Huang, Kun-Fu
• Granted Patent: US 9,613,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A method for application management is provided. First, an original application is received. A license code is injected into the original application through a repackaging process to generate a repackaged application. Next, the repackaged application is published for a user device to download and install, wherein the user device executes a client program. When the user device executes the repackaged application, the license code sends a license check request to activate the client program to send a license check response according to license information of the repackaged application. The license check response indicates whether the repackaged application is allowed to be further executed. When the license check response indicates that the repackage application is not allowed to be further executed, the license code terminates the repackaged application.

Claims

1. A method for application management, comprising:

receiving an original application;

injecting a license code into the original application through a repackaging process to generate a repackaged application; and

publishing the repackaged application for a user device to download and install the repackaged application, wherein the user device executes a client program, when the user device executes the repackaged application, the license code sends a license check request to activate the client program to send a license check response according to license information of the repackaged application, the license check response indicates whether the repackaged application is allowed to be further executed, and when the license check response indicates that the repackage application is not allowed to be further executed, the license code terminates the repackaged application.

2. The method for application management as claimed in claim 1, wherein the license code provides a name of the repackaged application to the client program, and the method for application management further comprises:

receiving the name from the client program; and

providing the license information to the client program according to the name.

3. The method for application management as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user device stores a permission setting of a system function, and the method for application management further comprises:

injecting a permission code into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application, wherein the permission code intercepts a call of the repackaged application on the system function, and sends a permission check request to activate the client program to send a permission check response according to the permission setting, and the permission code executes the system function, not to execute the system function, or respond the system function with fake information according to the permission check response, wherein when the repackaged application loads a new program code during execution of the repackaged application, the permission code transmits the new program code to the client program, the client program modifies the new program code to enable the permission code to intercept a call of the new program code on the system function and send the permission check request to activate the client program to send the permission check response according to the permission setting, and then the permission code allows adding the new program code to the repackaged application.

4. The method for application management as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

providing permission management information to the client program, wherein the client program changes the permission setting according to the permission management information.

5. The method for application management as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the license code does not receive the license check response within a predetermined time after sending the license check request, the license code terminates the repackaged application, and when the permission code does not receive the permission check response within the predetermined time after sending the permission check request, the permission code does not execute the system function.

6. The method for application management as claimed in claim 3, wherein the license code or the permission code provides a name of the repackaged application to the client program, and the method for application management further comprises:

injecting at least one key into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application;

receiving the name from the client program; and

providing one of the at least one key to the client program according to the name,

wherein when the name is provided by the license code, the license code uses the key to encrypt the license check request and decrypt the license check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the license check request and encrypt the license check response,

when the name is provided by the permission code, the permission code uses the key to encrypt the permission check request and decrypt the permission check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the permission check request and encrypt the permission check response.

7. The method for application management as claimed in claim 6, wherein the step of generating the repackaged application through the repackaging process comprises:

disassembling the original application to generate at least one disassembled file;

injecting the license code, the permission code and the at least one key into the at least one disassembled file to generate at least one first intermediate file;

dynamically obfuscating the at least one first intermediate file to generate at least one second intermediate file; and

assembling the at least one second intermediate file and executing a digital signature procedure to generate the repackaged application.

8. A method for application management, adapted to a user device, and comprising:

executing a client program;

downloading a repackaged application from an application management system, wherein the repackaged application is generated by the application management system by injecting a license code into an original application through a repackaging process; and

executing the repackaged application,

wherein when the repackaged application is executed, the license code sends a license check request to activate the client program to send a license check response according to license information of the repackaged application, wherein the license check response indicates whether the repackaged application is allowed to be further executed,

wherein when the license check response indicates that the repackage application is not allowed to be further executed, the license code terminates the repackaged application.

9. The method for application management as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

providing a name of the repackaged application to the client program by the license code;

providing the name to the application management system by the client program, wherein the application management system provides the license information according to the name; and

receiving the license information from the application management system by the client program.

10. The method for application management as claimed in claim 8, wherein the application management system further injects a permission code into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application, and the method for application management further comprises:

storing a permission setting of a system function;

intercepting a call of the repackaged application on the system function by the permission code, and sending a permission check request to activate the client program to send a permission check response according to the permission setting;

executing the system function, not to execute the system function, or responding the system function with fake information by the permission code according to the permission check response;

when a new program code is loaded by the repackaged application during execution of the repackaged application, transmitting the new program code to the client program by the permission code;

modifying the new program code by the client program to enable the permission code to intercept a call of the new program code on the system function and send the permission check request to activate the client program to send the permission check response according to permission setting; and

allowing to add the new program code to the repackaged application by the permission code after the client program modifies the new program code.

11. The method for application management as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

providing a user interface by the client program to facilitate a user of the user device changing the permission setting.

12. The method for application management as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving permission management information from the application management system by the client program; and

changing the permission setting by the client program according to the permission management information.

13. The method for application management as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

when the license code does not receive the license check response within a predetermined time after sending the license check request, terminating the repackaged application by the license code; and

when the permission code does not receive the permission check response within the predetermined time after sending the permission check request, not to execute the system function by the permission code.

14. The method for application management as claimed in claim 10, wherein the application management system further injects at least one key into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application, and the method for application management further comprises:

providing a name of the repackaged application to the client program by the license code or the permission code;

providing the name to the application management system by the client program, wherein the application management system provides one of the at least one key according to the name; and

receiving the key from the application management system by the client program,

wherein when the name is provided by the license code, the license code uses the key to encrypt the license check request and decrypt the license check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the license check request and encrypt the license check response, and

when the name is provided by the permission code, the permission code uses the key to encrypt the permission check request and decrypt the permission check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the permission check request and encrypt the permission check response.

15. The method for application management as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

storing the license information and/or the key received from the application management system into the user device by the client program, wherein

when the user device already stores the license information, the client program sends the license check response according to the license information stored in the user device, and

when the user device already stores the key, the client program uses the key stored in the user device to decrypt the license check request and/or the permission check request, and the client program uses the key stored in the user device to encrypt the license check response and/or the permission check response.

16. An application management system, comprising:

a repackaging module, receiving an original application, and injecting a license code into the original application through a repackaging process to generate a repackaged application; and

an application management module, publishing the repackaged application for a user device to download and install the repackaged application, wherein the user device executes a client program, when the user device executes the repackaged application, the license code sends a license check request to activate the client program to send a license check response according to license information of the repackaged application, the license check response indicates whether the repackaged application is allowed to be further executed, and when the license check response indicates that the repackage application is not allowed to be further executed, the license code terminates the repackaged application.

17. The application management system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the license code provides a name of the repackaged application to the client program, and the application management system further comprises:

a license management module, receiving the name from the client program, and providing the license information to the client program according to the name.

18. The application management system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the user device stores a permission setting of a system function, the repacking module further injects a permission code into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application, wherein the permission code intercepts a call of the repackaged application on the system function, and sends a permission check request to activate the client program to send a permission check response according to the permission setting, and the permission code executes the system function, not to execute the system function, or respond the system function with fake information according to the permission check response, wherein when the repackaged application loads a new program code during execution of the repackaged application, the permission code transmits the new program code to the client program, the client program modifies the new program code to enable the permission code to intercept a call of the new program code on the system function and send the permission check request to activate the client program to send the permission check response according to the permission setting, and then the permission code allows adding the new program code to the repackaged application.

19. The application management system as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

an over-the-air (OTA) module, providing permission management information to the client program, wherein the client program changes the permission setting according to the permission management information.

20. The application management system as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the license code does not receive the license check response within a predetermined time after sending the license check request, the license code terminates the repackaged application, and when the permission code does not receive the permission check response within the predetermined time after sending the permission check request, the permission code does not execute the system function.

21. The application management system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the license code or the permission code provides a name of the repackaged application to the client program, and the application management system further comprises:

a key providing module, providing at least one key, wherein the repackaging module further injects the at least one key into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application; and

a key management module, obtaining the at least one key from the key providing module, receiving the name from the client program; and

providing one of the at least one key to the client program according to the name, wherein when the name is provided by the license code, the license code uses the key to encrypt the license check request and decrypt the license check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the license check request and encrypt the license check response, and when the name is provided by the permission code, the permission code uses the key to encrypt the permission check request and decrypt the permission check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the permission check request and encrypt the permission check response.

22. The application management system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the repackaging module disassembles the original application to generate at least one disassembled file, injects the license code, the permission code and the at least one key into the at least one disassembled file to generate at least one first intermediate file, dynamically obfuscates the at least one first intermediate file to generate at least one second intermediate file, and assembles the at least one second intermediate file and executes a digital signature procedure to generate the repackaged application.

23. A user device, comprising:

a communication module, configured to connect an application management system; and

a processor, configured to execute a client program and download a repackaged application from the application management system and execute the repackaged application, wherein the repackaged application is generated by the application management system by injecting a license code into an original application through a repackaging process, when the repackaged application is executed, the license code sends a license check request to activate the client program to send a license check response according to license information of the repackaged application, wherein the license check response indicates whether the repackaged application is allowed to be further executed, and when the license check response indicates that the repackage application is not allowed to be further executed, the license code terminates the repackaged application.

24. The user device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the license code provides a name of the repackaged application to the client program, the client program provides the name to the application management system, the application management system provides the license information according to the name, and the client program receives the license information from the application management system.

25. The user device as claimed in claim 23, further comprising:

a storage device, storing a permission setting of a system function, wherein the application management system further injects a permission code into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application, the permission code intercepts a call of the repackaged application on the system function, and sends a permission check request to activate the client program to send a permission check response according to the permission setting, and the permission code executes the system function, not to execute the system function, or responds the system function with fake information according to the permission check response, wherein when the repackaged application loads a new program code during execution of the repackaged application, the permission code transmits the new program code to the client program, the client program modifies the new program code to enable the permission code to intercept a call of the new program code on the system function and send the permission check request to activate the client program to send the permission check response according to the permission setting, and after the client program modifies the new program code, the permission code allows adding the new program code to the repackaged application.

26. The user device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client program provides a user interface to facilitate a user of the user device changing the permission setting.

27. The user device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client program receives permission management information from the application management system, and changes the permission setting according to the permission management information.

28. The user device as claimed in claim 25, wherein when the license code does not receive the license check response within a predetermined time after sending the license check request, the license code terminates the repackaged application, and when the permission code does not receive the permission check response within the predetermined time after sending the permission check request, the permission code does not execute the system function.

29. The user device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the application management system further injects at least one key into the original application through the repackaging process to generate the repackaged application, and the license code or the permission code provides a name of the repackaged application to the client program, the client program provides the name to the application management system, the application management system provides one of the at least one key according to the name, and the client program receives the key from the application management system, wherein when the name is provided by the license code, the license code uses the key to encrypt the license check request and decrypt the license check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the license check request and encrypt the license check response, and when the name is provided by the permission code, the permission code uses the key to encrypt the permission check request and decrypt the permission check response, and the client program uses the key to decrypt the permission check request and encrypt the permission check response.

30. The user device as claimed in claim 29, wherein the client program stores the license information and/or the key received from the application management system into the user device, wherein when the user device already stores the license information, the client program sends the license check response according to the license information stored in the user device, and when the user device already stores the key, the client program uses the key stored in the user device to decrypt the license check request and/or the permission check request, and the client program uses the key stored in the user device to encrypt the license check response and/or the permission check response.