User impersonation by a proxy server

• US 7,370,015 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: Sap Portals Israel Ltd (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Gvily, Yaniv
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil; Frantzy
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAHAM, CLEMENT B
• Application Number:
  US09/973,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 705/52, 709/229
• US Class Current: 705/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A user is connected to the Internet by a proxy server that impersonates the user. Websites are accessed by sending an HTTP request to the proxy server. The HTTP request is encoded with characters that are understood by the proxy as requiring that the HTTP request be intercepted and either an identified script be executed or data within the request be extracted. The impersonating proxy automatically carries out the steps that would otherwise be carried out by the user when performing a transaction at a website. In one example, a user checks a bank website for a balance inquiry. A first HTTP request includes a script identifier. The proxy retrieves and executes the identified script, which in turn causes a an HTTP response to be sent to the user'"'"'s browser for personal information (e.g., user name and password). That personal information is extracted from a second HTTP request returned to the proxy, and the proxy accesses the bank website, enters the personal information, retrieves the account balance, and provides it to the user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method in a network for transmitting information between a web browser and a proxy server, comprising:

encoding, initiating and sending an HTTP request from the web browser to a proxy server, the HTTP request having a script identifier, wherein the proxy server is disposed between the web browser and a resource associated with the HTTP request;

decoding the request and extracting, at the proxy server, the script identifier from the HTTP request, and thereafter searching a database for the script associated with the script identifier;

executing, at the proxy server, the script associated with the script identifier at the proxy server;

generating, at the proxy server, a result from the script associated with the script identifier;

discarding the request without forwarding the request to the Internet; and

transmitting the result from the proxy server to the web browser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy server is a gateway to the Internet for a user of the web browser, and wherein the result generated from the script uses result information obtained by the proxy server via the Internet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the HTTP request from the web browser to the proxy server is a first HTTP request, wherein executing the script at the proxy server results in an HTTP response being sent from the proxy server to the web browser, such HTTP response requesting personalized information for the user, and wherein the web browser responds with a second HTTP request having such personalized information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second HTTP requests to the proxy server are encoded for being interpreted at the proxy server and then discarded without being forwarded to the Internet.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the personalized information is information required for accessing a website via the Internet.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the personalized information in the second HTTP request is extracted by the proxy server, and the proxy server uses such personalized information to obtain the results information via the Internet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the personalized information extracted from the second HTTP request is stored in a database for subsequent use by the proxy server in response to subsequent HTTP requests originating from the same user.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the results information obtained via the Internet is information at a website, wherein the website facilitates transactions concerning personal accounts, and wherein the personalized information is required for accessing personal account information of the user at such website.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the website facilitates transactions concerning financial accounts.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein website facilitates retail transactions by the user, and wherein the personalized information is required for conducting a retail transaction at such website.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the personalized information comprises a user name and password.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the personalized information comprises a cookie previously stored at a user machine associated with the web browser.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the result information includes a cookie to be stored at a user machine associated with the web browser.

14. A computer implemented method for a user to access a website through a proxy impersonating the user, comprising:

encoding and sending an Internet Protocol (IP) message from the user to the proxy;

receiving the IP message at the proxy;

decoding and parsing the IP message at the proxy, extracting a script identifier from the IP message, and thereafter searching a database for the script associated with the script identifier;

executing, at the proxy, the script associated with the script identifier;

generating, at the proxy, a result from the script associated with a script identifier;

discarding the IP message without forwarding the IP message to the Internet; and

sending the result from the proxy to the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the IP message is a first HTTP message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein in response to executing the script, a second HTTP message is sent from the proxy to the user requesting a username and a password, the second HTTP message resulting in a prompt at the user for entering a username and password.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising

sending a third HTTP message with the usemame and password from the user to the proxy;

extracting the usemame and password from the third HTTP message at the proxy, and discarding the third HTTP message; and

further executing the script associated with the script identifier using the username and password extracted from the third HTTP message.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein in response to executing the script, a second HTTP message is sent from the proxy server to the user pointing to the website and resulting in a third HTTP message being sent to the proxy and intended by the user for the website, the user providing a cookie associated with the website and accompanying the third HTTP message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the proxy extracts the cookie from the third HTTP message, discards that message, and uses the cookie in further execution of the script.

20. In a network having a plurality of users with web browsers and connected for accessing websites via the Internet, a database, and a proxy for impersonating a user, the proxy comprising:

a server for executing scripts that are stored in the database and that represent executable programming code, the server executing the scripts in order to request information from a specific user, to request information from a website to be accessed by the specific user, and to use the requested information to generate results for the specific user, wherein the server is disposed between the web browsers and the websites for interrogation of communication there between;

wherein the server receives an encoded HTTP message from the web browser of the specific user when access to the website is requested, such message including a script identifier for a script to be executed by the server in order to access the website;

wherein the server decodes and extracts the script identifier from the HTTP message, discards the message without forwarding the message to the Internet, and executes the identified script; and

wherein in response to execution of the identified script the server requests information from at least one of the specific user and the website, uses such information in further executing the identified script, and provides a result to the specific user.

21. The proxy of claim 20, wherein in response to execution of the script the server sends a second HTTP message to the web browser of the specific user requesting personalized information of that user, and wherein in response to the second HTTP message the web browser sends a third HTTP message to the server having such personalized information, the third HTTP message being discarded by the server after such personalized information is extracted by the server.

22. The proxy of claim 21, wherein the personalized information is a user name and password.

23. The proxy of claim 21, wherein the personalized information is a cookie previously stored at the user by the website.

24. In a network having a plurality of users with web browsers and connected for accessing websites via the Internet, a data storage means, and a proxy for impersonating a user, the proxy comprising:

server means for executing scripts stored in the data base means in order to request information from a specific user, wherein the server means is disposed between the web browsers and the websites for interrogation of communication there between;

request information from a website to be accessed by the specific user, and

use the requested information to generate results for the specific user;

wherein the server means receives an encoded HTTP message from the specific user when access to the website is requested, such message including a script identifier for a script to be executed by the server means in order to access the website;

wherein in response to receiving the HTTP message the server means decodes and extracts the script identifier from the HTTP message, discards the message without forwarding the message to the Internet, and executes the identified script; and

wherein in response to execution of the identified script the server means requests information from at least one of the specific user and the website, uses such information in further executing the identified script, and provides a result to the user.

25. A network comprising:

a plurality of users, each user having a web browser for accessing websites via the Internet; and

a proxy for impersonating specific users and for connecting those users to the Internet wherein the proxy is disposed between the web browsers of the plurality of users and the Internet such that communication between the web browsers and the Internet flows through the proxy;

wherein the proxy server receives an encoded HTTP request from a user having personal information relating to the user, such personal information also relating to a specific website; and

wherein the proxy decodes and extracts the personal information from the HTTP request and uses the extracted personal information to obtain results for the user and further wherein the proxy server discards the HTTP request without sending the HTTP request to the Internet.

26. The network of claim 25, wherein the proxy also receives information from the specific website and uses both the personal information and the website information to obtain results for the user.

27. The network of claim 25 wherein the proxy stores the personal information in a data storage device.

28. The network of claim 27 wherein in subsequent HTTP requests to the website that do not contain personal information, the proxy uses the stored personal information to obtain results for the user.

29. The network of claim 27 where the personal information is a user name and password.

30. The network of claim 27 where the personal information is a cookie.

31. The network of claim 25, wherein the HTTP request from the user is sent in response to an HTTP redirect massage from the proxy, the HTTP redirect message pointing to the specific website.

32. In a network having a plurality of users connected for accessing websites via the Internet, a database, and a proxy for impersonating a user, the proxy comprising:

a server configured to intercept encoded HTTP messages between a specific user and the websites;

wherein the server receives an encoded HTTP message from a specific user, such message including personalized information for the specific user;

wherein the server decodes and extracts the personalized information from the HTTP message, and uses such personalized information to provide a result to the user and further wherein the server is to discard the HTTP messaqe without forwarding the HTTP message to the Internet; and

wherein the personalized information extracted by the server is stored in the database, so that when the server subsequently receives an HTTP message from the user, the stored personalized information can be used by the server without requesting such information from the user.