Secure input method based on virtual machine

• US 8,122,518 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLDER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US11/749,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: 726/15, 726/30, 726/26, 726/27
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes

Abstract

The present invention provides a secure input method based on a virtual machine, in which an application invokes directly a secure input interface provided by a virtual machine monitor and transfers the address and length of input buffer area of the application as input parameters when it requires a secure input, and the virtual machine monitor receives keyboard input information, converts it into a key value and saves the converted key value directly into the input buffer area for the application. This prevents another application from using different filtering drivers and keyboard hooks to acquire the user input and thus enhances the security for a user input.

Claims

1. A secure input method based on a virtual machine in which a virtual machine monitor controls a secure input switch and provides a secure input interface, the method comprising:

determining whether an application requires a secure input;

if the application requires a secure input, the virtual machine monitor places keyboard input directly into an input buffer area for the application by the following steps;

Step A;

the application invokes the secure input interface of the virtual machine monitor and transfers a logic address of input buffer area of the application;

Step B;

the virtual machine monitor, after accepting the invoking of the secure input interface by the application, turns on the secure input switch and converts the logic address of the input buffer area into a physical address;

Step C;

the virtual machine monitor receives keyboard input information, converts it into a key value and saves the converted key value in the input buffer area; and

Step D;

the virtual machine monitor judges that the secure input is completed, returns an input result to the application and turns off the secure input switch;

if the application does not require a secure input,

the virtual machine monitor does not turn on the secure input switch, and keyboard input is provided to an input buffer area for the application in a conventional manner in which the keyboard input is passed from keyboard driver along a sequence of keyboard driver, keyboard filtering driver, inner kernel buffer memory and keyboard hook and then placed into the input buffer area for the application;

wherein in Step A, the application also transfers the length of the input buffer area of the application, and the virtual machine monitor judges that the secure input is completed when the length of the inputted key value equals to that of the input buffer area or when a key representing the completion is pressed;

wherein the virtual machine monitor denies to switch an input focus when the secure input switch is on.

2. The secure input method of claim 1, wherein the parameter transferred to the secure input interface in Step A further includes identification information of the application.

3. The secure input method of claim 2, wherein said identification information of the application is a handle of the application.

4. The secure input method of claim 2, wherein the virtual machine monitor permits the input focus to be switched when the secure input switch is on, and when switching the input focus, the secure input method further comprises:

Step 6a;

the virtual machine monitor turns off the secure input switch and saves the identification information, the address and current input position of the input buffer of the application which loses the input focus.

5. The secure input method of claim 4, wherein while switching the input focus, the virtual machine monitor further executes

Step 7a:

judging whether identification information for an application, which has obtained the input focus, has been saved, and if saved, turning on the secure input switch and settles received input at the current input position in the input buffer area for the application.

6. The secure input method of claim 2, wherein the parameter transferred to the secure input interface in Step A further includes a flag indicating whether to permit the input focus to be switched.

7. The secure input method of claim 6, wherein if receiving a requirement for switching the input focus when the secure input switch is on, the virtual machine monitor executes

Step 9a:

checking whether the secure input permits the input focus to be switched, and proceeding to Step 9b if it is permitted, otherwise denying the requirement for switching the input focus;

Step 9b;

turning off the secure input switch, saving the identification information, the flag indicating whether to permit the input focus to be switched, and the address and current input position of the input buffer area for the application which loses the input focus, and switch the input focus.

8. The secure input method of claim 7, wherein while switching the input focus, the virtual machine monitor further executes

Step 10a:

judging whether identification information for an application, which has obtained the input focus, has been saved, and if saved, turning on the secure input switch and storing received input at the current input position in the input buffer area for the application.