Method and system for coupling an X.509 digital certificate with a host identity
First Claim
1. A method for authenticating a client within a distributed data processing system, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a digital certificate from the client at a host within the distributed data processing system;
obtaining a host identity for the client from the digital certificate, wherein the host identity for the client identifies the client to the host, and wherein the host is not a certifying authority that issued the digital certificate;
retrieving host-decryptable secret data associated with the host identity from the digital certificate;
decrypting the host-decryptable secret data with a host private key to generate secret data; and
authenticating the client at the host using the host identity and the secret data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method or system is presented for coupling identities through the use of digital certificates, thereby allowing a client to be authenticated for a variety of services without those services having to modify their existing methods of authentication. The client generates a request for a digital certificate containing its host identity for a targeted host and secret data associated with its host identity. The secret data has been encrypted using the public key of the certifying authority that receives the request for the digital certificate. The certifying authority decrypts the secret data using its private key and encrypts the secret data using the public key of the targeted host. The digital certificate is then generated and returned to the client. At some point in time, a host receives the certificate from the client and obtains the client'"'"'s host identity from the certificate, i.e. the host identity uniquely identifies the client or the user of the client to the host. Encrypted secret data associated with the host identity, such as a password, is also retrieved from the digital certificate. The host decrypts the secret data with its private key, and the host then authenticates the client using the host identity and the decrypted secret data for various services. The digital certificate may be formatted according to the X.509 standard, and the host identity and secret information may be stored in an X.509 extension within the digital certificate.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for authenticating a client within a distributed data processing system, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a digital certificate from the client at a host within the distributed data processing system;
obtaining a host identity for the client from the digital certificate, wherein the host identity for the client identifies the client to the host, and wherein the host is not a certifying authority that issued the digital certificate;
retrieving host-decryptable secret data associated with the host identity from the digital certificate;
decrypting the host-decryptable secret data with a host private key to generate secret data; and
authenticating the client at the host using the host identity and the secret data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for generating a digital certificate, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at a certifying authority (CA), a request for a digital certificate from a client, wherein the request for a digital certificate comprises host identity mapping data, wherein a host identity for the client within the host identity mapping data identifies the client to a host, and wherein the host is not the certifying authority;
generating the digital certificate in response to the received request for a digital certificate; and
sending the generated digital certificate to the client, wherein the digital certificate comprises host identity mapping data. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. An apparatus for authenticating a client within a distributed data processing system, the apparatus comprising:
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first receiving means for receiving a digital certificate from the client at a host within the distributed data processing system;
obtaining means for obtaining a host identity for the client from the digital certificate, wherein the host identity for the client identifies the client to the host, and wherein the host is not a certifying authority that issued the digital certificate;
first retrieving means for retrieving host-decryptable secret data associated with the host identity from the digital certificate;
first decrypting means for decrypting the host-decryptable secret data with a host private key to generate secret data; and
authenticating means for authenticating the client at the host using the host identity and the secret data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for generating a digital certificate, the apparatus comprising:
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receiving means for receiving, at a certifying authority (CA), a request for a digital certificate from a client, wherein the request for a digital certificate comprises host identity mapping data, wherein a host identity for the client within the host identity mapping data identifies the client to a host, and wherein the host is not the certifying authority;
generating means for generating the digital certificate in response to the received request for a digital certificate; and
sending means for sending the generated digital certificate to the client, wherein the digital certificate comprises host identity mapping data. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in a distributed data processing system for authenticating a client, the computer program product comprising:
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instructions for receiving a digital certificate from the client at a host within the distributed data processing system;
instructions for obtaining a host identity for the client from the digital certificate, wherein the host identity for the client identifies the client to the host, and wherein the host is not a certifying authority that issued the digital certificate;
instructions for retrieving host-decryptable secret data associated with the host identity from the digital certificate;
instructions for decrypting the host-decryptable secret data with a host private key to generate secret data; and
instructions for authenticating the client at the host using the host identity and the data. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in a distributed data processing system for generating a digital certificate, the computer program product comprising:
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instructions for receiving, at a certifying authority (CA), a request for a digital certificate from a client, wherein the request for a digital certificate comprises host identity mapping data, wherein a host identity for the client within the host identity mapping data identifies the client to a host, and wherein the host is not the certifying authority;
instructions for generating the digital certificate in response to the received request for a digital certificate; and
instructions for sending the generated digital certificate to the client, wherein the digital certificate comprises host identity mapping data. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A data structure representing a digital certificate for use in a data processing system, the data structure comprising:
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an issuer name;
a signature;
a subject name; and
an extension, wherein the extension comprises a host identity and host-decryptable secret data associated with the host identity, wherein the host identity identifies a client to a host, wherein the host is not a certifying authority that issued the digital certificate, and wherein the host-decryptable secret data is used by the host to authenticate the client.
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Specification