Disconnected credential validation using pre-fetched service tickets

• US 8,584,218 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Matthew T., Webb, Jeff Marsden
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, JEREMIAH L
• Application Number:
  US13/333,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20120192256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807

Abstract

One or more user service tickets are obtained (i.e. pre-fetched) from an authentication server and stored in a ticket cache. The user service tickets facilitate a login device communicating with one or more users or group members associated with the login device. Login credentials for the users or group members may be subsequently authenticated against the user service tickets within the ticket cache thereby eliminating the need for immediate access to the authentication server or a previous login session by the users or group members. The user service tickets within the ticket cache may be refreshed as needed. In one embodiment, the user service tickets are refreshed daily and also in response to login attempts if the authentication service is readily accessible.

Claims

1. A computerized method that processes login credentials, the method comprising:

prior to a request from a user of a login device to authenticate, obtaining, from a Kerberos server, a user service ticket for the login device, wherein the user service ticket identifies the login device as a principal and the user as a service provider, the user service ticket further comprising an encrypted portion with identification information about the user that is used to subsequently authenticate the user;

pre-caching the user service ticket in a ticket cache associated with the login device;

receiving an authentication request at the login device from the user subsequent to pre-caching the user service ticket, the authentication request comprising one or more login credentials of the user;

in response to receiving the authentication request from the user, determining whether the Kerberos server is unavailable; and

in response to determining that the Kerberos server is unavailable, authenticating the user based on the user service ticket stored in the ticket cache, said authenticating comprising decrypting the user service ticket and comparing the identification information about the user stored in the user service ticket with the one or more login credentials of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the user with the user service ticket comprises using the user service ticket to construct a Kerberos AP-REQ message structure that is immediately validated using a credential generated key for the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user service ticket stores an identifier of the login device in the encrypted part of a Kerberos service ticket.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Kerberos server is a Kerberos key distribution center (KDC).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises authenticating the user via encrypted portion of the KDC.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises refreshing the user service ticket.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user service ticket is refreshed in response to an event selected from the group consisting of expiration of a selected interval, a login request, a change in user credentials, and during a reboot cycle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user service ticket comprises an identifier of the login device in a username field and an identifier of the user in a service name field.

9. An apparatus to validate login credentials, the apparatus comprising:

a computer processor;

a ticket pre-fetch module comprising computer-executable instructions that cause the processor to obtain a user service ticket from a Kerberos server prior to a request from a user of a login device to authenticate, wherein the user service ticket identifies the login device as a principal and the user as a service provider and comprises an encrypted portion with identification information about the user that is used to subsequently authenticate the user;

a ticket cache configured to pre-cache the user service ticket for subsequent authentication of the user; and

an authentication module comprising computer-executable instructions that cause the processor to;

receive an authentication request at the login device for the user subsequent to pre-caching of the user service ticket in the ticket cache, the authentication request comprising one or more login credentials of the user,

determine whether the Kerberos server is available, and

in response to determining that the Kerberos server is unavailable, authenticate the user with the user service ticket by at least decrypting the user service ticket and comparing the identification information about the user stored in the user service ticket with one or more login credentials of the user.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the authentication module further causes the processor to generate a key for the user from the one or more login credentials, decrypt a portion of the user service ticket using the key for the user, and validate authentication data associated with the user service ticket.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the authentication module further causes the processor to use the user service ticket to construct a Kerberos AP-REQ message structure that is validated using a key for the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the ticket pre-fetch module further causes the processor to refresh the user service ticket.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ticket pre-fetch module further causes the processor to refresh the user service ticket in response to an event selected from the group consisting of expiration of a selected interval, a change in user credentials, a login request, and a reboot cycle.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user service ticket comprises an identifier of the login device in a username field and an identifier of the user in a service name field.

15. A system of validating login credentials comprising:

a computer processor;

a first set of computer-executable instructions that causes the processor to request a first service ticket for a login device from an authentication server prior to receiving a login request of a user;

a second set of computer-executable instructions that causes the processor to receive the first service ticket from the authentication server, wherein the service ticket identifies the login device as a principal and the user as a service provider and the service ticket further comprises an encrypted portion with identification information about the user that is used to subsequently authenticate the user;

a third set of computer-executable instructions that causes the processor to pre-cache the first service ticket in a ticket cache;

a fourth set of computer-executable instructions that causes the processor to receive a login request with the login device from the user to access a service subsequent to said pre-caching of the first service ticket, the login request from the user comprising a login credential;

a fifth set of computer-executable instructions that causes the processor to attempt to obtain a second service ticket from the authentication server in response to receiving the login request from the user; and

a sixth set of computer-executable instructions that causes the processor, in response to failing to receive the second service ticket, to authenticate the user by comparing information in the first service ticket stored in the ticket cache with the login credential.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said attempt to obtain a second service ticket from the authentication server comprises testing for a timeout condition.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said comparing of the first service ticket and the login credential to authenticate the user is performed in response to a timeout condition being satisfied.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said requesting the first service ticket comprises authenticating the login device used by the user.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the first service ticket comprises an identifier of the login device in a username field and an identifier of the user in a service name field.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said authentication of the user by comparing the first service ticket and the login credential comprises decrypting at least a portion of the first service ticket using a key generated from the login credential.