System and method for file system mandatory access control

• US 7,962,950 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Leerssen, Scott Alan, Berger, Joubert, Choo, Tse Huong
• Primary Examiner(s): Poltorak; Peter
• Application Number:
  US09/896,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,637 Days
• Field of Search: 713164-166
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is related to a computer system including compartments implemented on an operating system. A database contains access rules with the access rules defining which compartments are authorized to access particular file resources. A kernel module receives a system call to access a file from a user space application belonging to a compartment. A security module determines whether the user space application is authorized to access the file utilizing access rules stored in the database.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to a file by a process, said method comprising:

receiving a request from said process to access said file, said process being associated with a compartment implemented on an operating system;

determining an identifier of said compartment; and

searching for access rules defining whether processes associated with particular compartments are permitted to access certain file resources, said rules retained in a database in a hierarchical manner that parallels a subdirectory structure of a file system containing said file;

wherein said request includes a filename containing a path identifier, said path identifier specifying a plurality of subdirectories, and wherein said step of searching includes the sub-steps of;

(a) searching said database according to a lowest subdirectory of said plurality of subdirectories for an access rule applicable to said compartment;

(b) when an access rule is found in step (a), proceeding to step (e);

(c) searching said database according a next higher subdirectory of said plurality of subdirectories for an access rule applicable to said compartment; and

(d) repeating step (c) until the first event of the following events occurs;

(i) an access rule applicable to said compartment is located;

(ii) said database is searched according to a root directory;

(e) when an access rule applicable to said compartment is located, providing access to said file when said access rule applicable to said compartment allows access.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of searching further comprises:

(f) when an access rule applicable to said compartment is not located, providing access to said file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said file is stored on a file system that possesses a subdirectory structure, and wherein said database is structured to retain access rules in a hierarchical manner that parallels the subdirectory structure of said file system.

4. A method for controlling access to a file by a process, said method comprising:

receiving a request from said process to access said file stored in a file system having a subdirectory structure, said process being associated with a compartment implemented on an operating system;

determining an identifier of said compartment;

searching for access rules defining whether processes associated with particular compartments are permitted to access certain file, said rules retained in a database structured in a hierarchical manner that parallels the subdirectory structure; and

if said database does not include an access rule for a subdirectory containing said file, determining permission for said process to access said file according to an access rule for a parent directory of said subdirectory, and accessing said file if permitted.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the database does not include an access rule for each subdirectory of the file system.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said request includes a filename containing a path identifier specifying a plurality of subdirectories, and wherein the searching includes traversing a linked list structure of the access rules in the database according to the plurality of subdirectories of the path identifier.