Server verification of requesting clients

• US 6,253,324 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thomlinson, Matthew W., Field, Scott, Cooper, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myhre, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/996,637
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 380/3, 380/4, 713/187, 713/188
• US Class Current: 713/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

Described herein is a method of verifying the integrity of client programs that request services from server programs. The invention includes a step of accepting a request for services from a client program, wherein the client program executes from an executable image in executable memory. In response to such a request, the server program identifies one or more image files on secondary storage corresponding to non-writeable sections of the executable image. The server program then compares the non-writeable sections of the executable image with the corresponding sections of the image files to determine whether the executable image has been altered in the executable memory. The server program provides the requested services only if the executable image of the client program has not been altered.

Claims

1. A method of providing services to client programs that execute on a computer, the computer having executable memory and secondary storage, the method comprising:

accepting a request for services from a client program, wherein the client program executes from an executable image in executable memory, and wherein the executable image has previously been loaded into executable memory from one or more image files that reside on the secondary storage;

comparing the executable image with said one or more image files to determine whether the executable image has been altered in the executable memory;

providing the requested services to the client program only if the executable image of the client program has not been altered.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising identifying non-writeable sections of the executable image, wherein the comparing step compares only the non-writeable sections of the executable image with the one or more image files.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein comparing the executable image with said one or more image files comprises:

hashing at least portions of the executable image to create a first hash value;

hashing at least portions of the one or more image files to create a second hash value;

comparing the first and second hash values.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein comparing the executable image with said one or more image files comprises accounting for relocation fixups in the executable image.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein comparing the executable image with said one or more image files comprises undoing relocation fixups in the executable image.

6. A method of providing services to client programs that execute on a computer, the computer having executable memory and secondary storage, the method comprising:

accepting a request for services from a client program, wherein the client program executes from an executable image in executable memory;

identifying one or more image files on the secondary storage corresponding to non-writeable sections of the executable image;

comparing the non-writeable sections of the executable image with the corresponding one or more image files to determine whether the executable image has been altered in the executable memory;

providing the requested services to the client program only if the executable image of the client program has not been altered.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein comparing the non-writeable sections of the executable image comprises:

hashing the non-writeable sections of the executable image to create a first hash value;

hashing the program module files corresponding to the non-writeable sections of the executable image to create a second hash value;

comparing the first and second hash values.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein comparing the non-writeable sections of the executable image comprises accounting for relocation fixups in the executable image.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein comparing the non-writeable sections of the executable image comprises undoing relocation fixups in the executable image.

10. A method of providing services to client programs that execute on a computer, the computer having executable memory and secondary storage, the method comprising:

creating an executable image of a client program in executable memory from one or more image files on secondary storage corresponding to the client program;

requesting services of a server program from the client program;

identifying the one or more image files corresponding to the client program;

comparing the executable image of the client program with the image files corresponding to the client program to determine whether the executable image has been altered in the executable memory;

providing the requested services from the server program only if the executable image of the client program has not been altered.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising identifying non-writeable sections of the executable image, wherein comparing the executable image of the client program comprises comparing only the non-writeable sections of the executable image with the one or more image files.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein comparing the executable image of the client program comprises:

hashing at least portions of the executable image to create a first hash value;

hashing at least portions of the one or more image files to create a second hash value;

comparing the first and second hash values.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein comparing the executable image of the client program comprises a step of accounting for relocation fixups in the executable image.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein comparing the executable image of the client program comprises undoing relocation fixups in the executable image.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising verifying the integrity of the one or more image files.

16. A computer comprising:

executable memory;

non-volatile secondary storage;

the computer being configured to execute a server program that provides services to requesting client programs;

the computer being further configured to load an executable image of a client program into executable memory from one or more corresponding image files on secondary storage, the client program being configured to request services from the server program;

the server program being configured to identify the one or more image files corresponding to the executable image of the requesting client program and to compare the executable image with the identified image files to determine whether the executable image has been altered in the executable memory;

wherein the server program is further configured to provide the requested services to the requesting client program only if the executable image of the requesting client program has not been altered.

17. A computer as recited in claim 16, wherein the server program compares only non-writeable sections of the executable image with the identified image files.

18. A computer as recited in claim 16, wherein the server program performs the following acts to compare the executable image with the identified image files:

hashing at least portions of the executable image to create a first hash value;

hashing at least portions of the one or more image files to create a second hash value;

comparing the first and second hash values.

19. A computer as recited in claim 16, wherein the server program accounts for image relocation fixups when comparing the executable image with the identified image files.

20. A computer as recited in claim 16, wherein the server program undoes relocation fixups in the executable image when comparing the executable image with the identified image files.

21. A computer as recited in claim 16, further comprising an anti-virus program running on the computer to ensure the integrity of the one or more image files.

22. A computer-readable storage medium containing a server program that provides services to requesting client programs, the server program being executable by a computer to perform acts comprising:

accepting a request for services from a client program, wherein the client program executes from an executable image in executable memory, and wherein the executable image has previously been loaded into executable memory from one or more image files that reside on the secondary storage;

comparing the executable image with said one or more image files to determine whether the executable image has been altered in the executable memory;

providing the requested services to the client program only if the executable image of the client program has not been altered.

23. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 22, the server program being executable to perform a further act comprising identifying non-writeable sections of the executable image, wherein the comparing act compares only the non-writeable sections of the executable image with the one or more image files.

24. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the comparing act comprises:

hashing at least portions of the executable image to create a first hash value;

hashing at least portions of the one or more image files to create a second hash value;

comparing the first and second hash values.

25. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the comparing act includes a step of accounting for relocation fixups in the executable image.

26. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 22, wherein the comparing act includes a step of undoing relocation fixups in the executable image.