Access control for computers

• US 7,134,018 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Riordan, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Application Number:
  US09/808,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20020066016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,064 Days
• Field of Search: 713/181, 713/170, 713/176, 713/187, 713/188, 713200-202
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response

Abstract

The invention provides a general and flexible mechanism for a secure access control on a computer. Cryptographic checksums are applied for the identification of a program to another program. These cryptographic checksums are generated automatically for the programs. Each program has its program-specific identifier which can be regarded as a substantially unique value or name. Such a program-specific identifier can be used to verify the validity of one program to another program. Mutual trust relationships between different programs can therewith be set up easily.

Claims

1. A method for disclosing the identity of a message-originator program (D) to a message-receiver program (S), the method comprising:

sending from said message-originator program (D) to said message receiver program (S) a message comprising a program-specific identifier (H(D)), which has been provided for said message-originator program (D) by means of an automatic operation of applying a hash function (H) to said message originator program in a trusted computing base (TCB) in which said trusted computing base applies said hash function to said message originator program in response to a request from said message originator program, the result of which hash function is said program-specific identifier, said program-specific identifier (H(D)) being verifiable at said message-receiver program (S) whether it is known to said message-receiver program (S).

2. A method for verifying the identity of a message-originator program (D) by message-receiver program (S), the method comprising the steps of:

providing a program-specific identifier (H(D)) for said message-originator program (D) by means of an automatic operation of applying a hash function (H) to said message originator program in a trusted computing base (TCB), in which said trusted computing base applies said hash function to said message originator program in response to a request from said message originator program, the result of which hash function is said program-specific identifier;

sending from said message-originator program (D) to said message-receiver program (S) a message comprising said program-specific identifier (H(D)), receiving at said message-receiving program (S) said message; and

verifying whether said received program-specific identifier (H(D)) is known to said message-receiver program (S).

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the message-receiver program afterwards becomes a response message-originator program and sends a response message to the message-originator program comprising:

a response-program-specific identifier (H(S)), which has been provided for said response-message originator program by means of the trusted computing base (TCB); and

an acknowledgment of the program-specific identifier (H(D)) has been verified as being known.

4. Method according to claim 2, wherein the message further comprises an additional program-specific identifier (H(G)) that is signed by use of a private cryptographic key (k⁻

1) acceptable to said message receiver program to establish a membership of an additional program in a trust relationship, in which said private cryptographic key is supplied by a helper program that is known to said message-receiver program and knows said message originator program; and

said helper program receives an additional private key and an additional program specific identifier from said additional program;

said helper program verifies that said additional program is known to it; and

said helper program sends said additional private key and additional program specific identifier to said message receiver program;

said message receiver program adds said additional private key and additional program specific identifier to a stored list of known program specific identifiers, whereby said additional program is added to said trust relationship.

5. Method according to claim 2, wherein the message-originator program (D) and the message-receiver program (S) are executed on different systems and are connectable via a network, each having its trusted computing base (TCB) for providing program-specific cryptographic identifiers.

6. A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 2, when said program is run on a computer.

7. A computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for performing the method of claim 2, when said program product is run on a computer.

8. A method according to claim 4, in which said helper program is invoked after said message originator program has been rejected by said message receiver program.

9. A method according to claim 4, in which said helper program is invoked to perform a computation function.

10. A method according to claim 8, in which said helper program is invoked said message originator program without human intervention.

11. A method according to claim 9, in which said helper program is invoked said message originator program without human intervention.

12. An apparatus for verifying the identity of a message-originator program (D) by a message-receiver program (S) on a computer, the apparatus comprising:

computing means;

a receive module for receiving from said message-originator program (D) a message comprising a program-specific identifier (H(D)), which has been provided for said message-originator program (D) by means of an automatic operation of applying a hash function (H) to said message originator program in a trusted computing base (TCB), in which said trusted computing base applies said hash function to said message originator program in response to a request from said message originator program, the result of which hash function is said program-specific identifier, and

a verifier-module that verifies whether said program-specific identifier (H(D)) is known to said message-receiver program (S).