System and method for remote code integrity in distributed systems

• US 6,986,041 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gilfix, Michael A., Stading, Tyron Jerrod
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/383,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 705/67, 709/201, 709/203, 380/278, 380/279, 380/44, 713/161
• US Class Current: 713/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen

Abstract

A system and method for remote code integrity in distributed systems is presented. A server sends encrypted remote code to a client. The client receives the encrypted remote code and a key agent from the server. The key agent includes a key to decrypt the remote code. The client uses the key to decrypt the encrypted remote code and stores the decrypted remote code in internal memory. The key agent uses a second key included in the key agent to re-encrypt the decrypted remote code and stores the re-encrypted remote code in non-volatile memory. The client executes the decrypted remote code located in internal memory. Once the client is finished executing the decrypted remote code, the client overwrites the keys and deletes the old encrypted code.

Claims

1. A method of securing remote code at a client computer system, said method comprising:

retrieving encrypted remote code from a storage area;

receiving a key agent from a server computer system, wherein the key agent includes a first key arid a second key, the first key and the second key generated at the server;

decrypting the encrypted remote code using the first key, the decrypting resulting in a decrypted remote code;

storing the decrypted remote code in a temporary storage area;

verifying the decrypted remote code;

executing the decrypted remote code at the client computer system;

removing the decrypted remote code from the temporary storage area;

re-encrypting the decrypted remote code using the second key, resulting in a re-encrypted remote code;

receiving, at the server computer system, an acknowledgement message indicating that the decrypted remote code was successfully loaded by the client computer system;

copying the second key that was included with the key agent to a first key location area in response to receiving the acknowledgement message, the first key location area residing on a non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system;

generating a third key in response to receiving the acknowledgement message;

overwriting the second key with the third key; and

storing the third key in the non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the verifying further comprises:

loading the decrypted remote code; and

sending an error message to the server computer system in response to unsuccessfully loading the decrypted remote code.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, at the server computer system, the error message; and

changing a status flag indicator corresponding to the client computer system and the error message, wherein the status flag indicator resides on the non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a start agent prior to receiving the key agent;

requesting server authentication from the server computer system using the start agent;

receiving a digital certificate from the server computer system in response to the requesting;

authenticating the server computer system using the digital certificate; and

receiving the key agent in response to the authentication.

5. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and

a remote code security tool to secure remote code, the remote code security tool including;

means for retrieving encrypted remote code from one of the nonvolatile storage devices;

means for receiving a key agent from a server computer system over a computer network, wherein the key agent includes a first key and a second key, the first key and the second key generated at the server;

means for decrypting the encrypted remote code using the first key, resulting in a decrypted remote code;

means for storing the decrypted remote code in the memory;

means for verifying the decrypted remote code;

means for executing the decrypted remote code at the information handling system;

means for removing the decrypted remote code from the memory;

means for re-encrypting the decrypted remote code using the second key, resulting in a re-encrypted remote code;

means for receiving, at the server computer system, an acknowledgement message indicating that the decrypted remote code was successfully loaded by the client computer system;

means for copying the second key that was included with the key agent to a first key location area in response to receiving the acknowledgement message, the first key location area residing on a non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system;

means for generating a third key in response to receiving the acknowledgement message;

means for overwriting the second key with the third key; and

means for storing the third key in the non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system.

6. The information handling system as described in claim 5 wherein the verifying further comprises:

means for loading the decrypted remote code; and

means for sending an error message to the server computer system over the computer network in response to unsuccessfully loading the decrypted remote code.

7. The information handling system as described in claim 6 further comprising:

means for receiving, at the server computer system, the error message; and

means for changing a status flag indicator corresponding to the information handling system and the error message, wherein the status flag indicator resides on the nonvolatile storage device located at the server computer system.

8. The information handling system as described in claim 5 further comprising:

means for receiving a start agent prior to receiving the key agent;

means for requesting server authentication from the server computer system using the start agent;

means for receiving a digital certificate from the server computer system over the computer network in response to the requesting;

means for authenticating the server computer system using the digital certificate; and

means for receiving the key agent over the computer network in response to the authentication.

9. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media for performing remote code integrity at a client computer system, said computer program product comprising:

means for retrieving encrypted remote code from a storage area;

means for receiving a key agent from a server computer system over a computer network, wherein the key agent includes a first key and a second key, the first key and the second key generated at the server;

means for decrypting the encrypted remote code using the first key, resulting in a decrypted remote code;

means for storing the decrypted remote code in a temporary storage area;

means for verifying the decrypted remote code;

means for executing the decrypted remote code at the client computer system;

means for removing the decrypted remote code from the temporary storage area;

means for re-encrypting the decrypted remote code using the second key, resulting in a re-encrypted remote code;

means for receiving, at the server computer system, an acknowledgement message indicating that the decrypted remote code was successfully loaded by the client computer system;

means for copying the second key that was included with the key agent to a first key location area in response to receiving the acknowledgement message, the first key location area residing on a non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system;

means for generating a third key in response to receiving the acknowledgement message;

means for overwriting the second key with the third key; and

means for storing the third key in the non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system.

10. The computer program product as described in claim 9 wherein the verifying further comprises:

means for loading the decrypted remote code; and

means for sending an error message to the server computer system in response to unsuccessfully loading the decrypted remote code.

11. The computer program product as described in claim 10 further comprising:

means for receiving, at the server computer system, the error message; and

means for changing a status flag indicator corresponding to the client computer system and the error message, wherein the status flag indicator resides on the non-volatile storage device located at the server computer system.

12. The computer program product as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for receiving a start agent prior to receiving the key agent;

means for requesting server authentication from the server computer system using the start agent;

means for receiving a digital certificate from the server computer system in response to the requesting;

means for authenticating the server computer system using the digital certificate; and

means for receiving the key agent in response to the authentication.