Trusted gateway agent for web server programs
First Claim
1. A computer based secure Web platform (SWP) implementing a mandatory access control policy to enable a plurality of remote users operating Web browsers communicating HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) data streams over the Internet access to CGI applications without compromising the security of the SWP, comprising:
- a computer having a compartmentalized process and file structure separated in accordance with a mandatory access control policy into an outside compartment containing a Web server implementing HTTP to interface the SWP with the Internet and an inside compartment containing a plurality of CGI applications; and
a trusted gateway agent program for communicating between the outside compartment and the inside compartment;
the trusted gateway program further comprising a gateway client program located in the outside compartment having a plurality of outside CGI links to CGI applications that are visible to the outside Web server and a gateway server program located in the inside compartment, wherein the outside CGI links are visible to the Web server and upon execution of an outside CGI link, a network link is opened to the gateway server program which invokes the corresponding CGI application, wherein the gateway server program creates a new process and invokes the corresponding CGI application and connects the HTTP data stream between the CGI application and the gateway client, and wherein the CGI application employs the HTTP data stream to communicate through the gateway server program and gateway client program to the Web browser.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a secure Web platform (SWP) implementing a mandatory access control policy to enable a plurality of remote users operating Web browsers Internet access to CGI applications in response to HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests. The SWP employs a computer having a compartmentalized process and file structure separated in accordance with a mandatory access control policy into an outside compartment comprising a Web server having a root directory chrooted to a directory tree containing only the minimal set of files required to interface the SWP with the Internet, and an inside compartment comprising a plurality of CGI applications having root directories chrooted to a directory separate from the Web server such that the Web server cannot communicate directly with the CGI applications, and a trusted gateway agent for communicating between the Web server and the CGI applications.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A computer based secure Web platform (SWP) implementing a mandatory access control policy to enable a plurality of remote users operating Web browsers communicating HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) data streams over the Internet access to CGI applications without compromising the security of the SWP, comprising:
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a computer having a compartmentalized process and file structure separated in accordance with a mandatory access control policy into an outside compartment containing a Web server implementing HTTP to interface the SWP with the Internet and an inside compartment containing a plurality of CGI applications; and a trusted gateway agent program for communicating between the outside compartment and the inside compartment;
the trusted gateway program further comprising a gateway client program located in the outside compartment having a plurality of outside CGI links to CGI applications that are visible to the outside Web server and a gateway server program located in the inside compartment, wherein the outside CGI links are visible to the Web server and upon execution of an outside CGI link, a network link is opened to the gateway server program which invokes the corresponding CGI application, wherein the gateway server program creates a new process and invokes the corresponding CGI application and connects the HTTP data stream between the CGI application and the gateway client, and wherein the CGI application employs the HTTP data stream to communicate through the gateway server program and gateway client program to the Web browser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for implementing a mandatory access control policy on a computer based secure web platform (SWP) having a compartmentalized process and file structure separated in accordance with a mandatory access control policy enabling a plurality of remote users operating Web browsers communicating HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) data streams over the Internet access to CGI applications without compromising the security of the SWP, comprising the method steps of:
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separating the file structure of a computer into an outside compartment containing a Web server implementing HTTP to interface the SWP with the Internet and an inside compartment containing a plurality of CGI applications, and communicating between the outside compartment and the inside compartment with a trusted gateway agent program having a gateway client program located in the outside compartment with a plurality of outside CGI links to CGI applications that are visible to the outside Web server and a gateway server program located in the inside compartment, chrooting the root directory of the Web server to a directory tree containing only the minimum set of files required for the Web server to operate, assigning an a link identifier to the CGI applications such that all of the outside CGI link directories point to the gateway client program and the link identifier identifies the corresponding CGI application to execute, invoking the trusted gateway agent to communicate between the outside compartment and the inside compartment, verifying the validity of the HTTP request from the Web server to execute a CGI application, establishing a connection between the gateway client program and the gateway server program, transferring gateway client program environment and argument vectors to gateway server program, verifying the validity of the CGI request, chrooting the CGI applications to run in an inside directory completely separate from the Web server, invoking the CGI application and connecting the HTTP data stream if the CGI request is valid. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification