Verification of loadable objects

• US 8,239,878 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, H. S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JORDAN, KIMBERLY L
• Application Number:
  US11/809,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 713/187, 717/166
• US Class Current: 719/316
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures

Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying loadable objects. A request is received from an application to load a first loadable object into memory. A first signature value is calculated for the first loadable object. The first loadable object is loaded into memory if the first signature value matches one of a plurality of signature values, each of the plurality of signature values being associated with a distinct loadable object.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device executing an object manager, a request from an application to load a loadable object into memory;

if there is an existing signature value for the loadable object in a permanent storage, performing the following by the processing device;

calculating a new signature value for the loadable object; and

loading the loadable object into memory if the new signature value matches the existing signature value for the loadable object;

if there is no existing signature value for the loadable object in the permanent storage, performing the following by the processing device, wherein there is no existing signature value for the loadable object if the loadable object changes over a lifetime of the loadable object;

determining whether to load the loadable object into memory based on at least one of a specified user preference or a user input; and

when it is determined to load the loadable object into memory, calculating a temporary signature value for the loadable object and storing the temporary signature value in a temporary storage, wherein no copies of the temporary signature value are stored in the permanent storage or in an additional permanent storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the new signature value matches the existing signature value if the loadable object has not been modified since the existing signature value was generated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the new signature value does not match the existing signature value, notifying a user that the loadable object cannot be loaded.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating a log of loadable objects that failed to load.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the loadable object is at least one of a program, an application dynamic link library (dll), and a device driver.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically calculating the existing signature value when the loadable object is initially installed unless it is known that the loadable object will change over the lifetime of the loadable object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the existing signature value in a secure location of the permanent storage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the existing signature value and the new signature value is one of a cyclic redundancy check, a checksum, and a cryptographic hash of the loadable object.

9. A non-transitory machine-accessible storage medium including instructions for an object manager that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method, comprising:

receiving, by the machine, a request from an application to load a loadable object into memory;

if there is an existing signature value for the loadable object in a permanent storage, performing the following;

calculating a new signature value for the loadable object; and

loading the loadable object into memory if the new signature value matches the existing signature value for the loadable object;

if there is no existing signature value for the loadable object in the permanent storage, performing the following, wherein there is no existing signature value for the loadable object if the loadable object changes over a lifetime of the loadable object;

determining whether to load the loadable object into memory based on at least one of a specified user preference or a user input; and

when it is determined to load the loadable object into memory, calculating a temporary signature value for the loadable object and storing a temporary signature value in the temporary storage, wherein no copies of the temporary signature value are stored in the permanent storage or in an additional permanent storage.

10. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 9, wherein the new signature value matches the existing signature value if the loadable object has not been modified since the existing signature value was generated.

11. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 9, the method further comprising:

if the new signature value does not match the existing signature value, notifying a user that the loadable object cannot be loaded.

12. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 11, the method further comprising:

generating a log of loadable objects that failed to load.

13. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 9, wherein the loadable object is at least one of a program, an application dynamic link library (dll), and a device driver.

14. The machine-accessible storage medium of claim 9, the method further comprising:

storing the existing signature value in a secure location of the permanent storage.

15. A computing apparatus comprising:

a memory;

instructions for an object manager stored in the memory; and

a processing device, connected with the memory, configured to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the processing device;

to receive a request from an application to load a loadable object into memory;

if there is an existing signature value for the loadable object in a permanent storage, to perform the following;

calculate a new signature value for the loadable object; and

load the loadable object into memory if the new signature value matches the existing signature value for the loadable object; and

if there is no existing signature value for the loadable object in the permanent storage, to perform the following, wherein there is no existing signature value for the loadable object if the loadable object changes over a lifetime of the loadable object;

determine whether to load the loadable object into memory based on at least one of a specified user preference or a user input; and

when it is determined to load the loadable object into memory, calculate a temporary signature value for the loadable object and store the temporary signature value in a temporary storage, wherein no copies of the temporary signature value are stored in the permanent storage or in an additional permanent storage.

16. The computing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the new signature value matches the existing signature value if the loadable object has not been modified since the existing signature value was generated.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to notify a user that the loadable object cannot be loaded if the new signature value does not match the existing signature value.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further to cause the processor to generate a log of loadable objects that failed to load.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the loadable object is at least one of a program, an application dynamic link library (dll), and a device driver.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further to cause the processor to automatically calculate the existing signature value when the loadable object is initially installed unless it is known that the loadable object will change over the lifetime of the loadable object.