Shared secret vault for applications with single sign on

• US 9,626,525 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Momchilov, Georgy, Nordstrom, Ola
• Primary Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/983,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• 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 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0863 involving passwords or one-time passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for using one-time keys in a packet data network H04L63/067
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications

Abstract

Some aspects of the disclosure generally relate to providing single sign on features in mobile applications in a secure environment using a shared vault. An application may prompt a user to provide user entropy such as a passcode (e.g. a password and/or PIN). The application may use the user entropy to decrypt a user-entropy-encrypted vault key. Once the vault key is decrypted, the application may decrypt a vault database of the shared vault. The shared vault may store shared secrets, such as server credentials, and an unlock key. The application may store the unlock key, generate an unlock-key-encrypted vault key, and cause the shared vault to store the unlock-key-encrypted vault key, thereby “unlocking” the vault. The application may then use the unlock key to decrypt the vault database without prompting the user to provide user entropy again.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a computing device, a shared vault comprising a vault database encrypted using a vault key, wherein the vault database comprises an unlock key;

receiving, by a first application executing on the computing device, user entropy from a user associated with the shared vault;

decrypting a first vault key record associated with the shared vault using the user entropy to generate a first copy of the vault key;

accessing, by the first application executing on the computing device and using the first copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the unlock key;

storing, by the first application executing on the computing device, the unlock key in first application memory associated with the first application;

decrypting a second vault key record associated with the shared vault using the unlock key stored in the first application memory to generate a second copy of the vault key; and

accessing, by the first application executing on the computing device and using the second copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the first stored data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the shared vault comprises:

generating the first vault key record based on the vault key, wherein the first vault key record is encrypted using the user entropy; and

storing the first vault key record in the shared vault.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first vault key record is further encrypted with first application entropy associated with the first application, and wherein the decrypting the first vault key comprises:

decrypting the first vault key record using the user entropy and the first application entropy to generate the first copy of the vault key.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first vault key record is further encrypted with device entropy associated with the computing device, and wherein the decrypting the first vault key comprises:

decrypting the first vault key record using the user entropy and the device entropy to generate the first copy of the vault key.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first application and subsequent to decrypting the first vault key record, that the shared vault does not include the second vault key record; and

in response to so determining, generating the second vault key record using the first copy of the vault key and the unlock key and storing the second vault key record in the shared vault.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the first application, an inactivity timer stored in the shared vault;

determining, by the first application, whether the inactivity timer indicates that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the vault database was last accessed; and

in response to so determining, deleting the second vault key record from the shared vault.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first application that the shared vault does not include the second vault key record; and

in response to so determining;

prompting, by the first application, the user to provide the user entropy;

decrypting the first vault key record associated with the shared vault using the user entropy to generate a third copy of the vault key;

generating the second vault key record using the third copy of the vault key and the unlock key; and

storing the second vault key record in the shared vault.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decrypting, by a second application executing on the computing device, the second vault key record using the unlock key to generate a third copy of the vault key, wherein the unlock key is further stored in second application memory associated with the second application; and

accessing, by the second application executing on the computing device and using the third copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the first stored data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second application is a background application executing concurrently with the first application on the computing device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing, by the second application, an inactivity timer stored in the shared vault;

determining, by the second application, whether the inactivity timer indicates that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the vault database was last accessed; and

in response to so determining, deleting the second vault key record from the shared vault.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating, by the first application, with a network service using user credentials associated with the user;

retrieving first network resource access credentials from the network service;

writing, by the first application, the first network resource access credentials to the vault database;

decrypting, by a second application executing on the computing device, the second vault key record using the unlock key to generate a third copy of the vault key, wherein the unlock key is further stored in second application memory associated with the second application; and

accessing, by the second application executing on the computing device and using the third copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve the first network resource access credentials.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, user credentials associated with the user;

authenticating, by the computing device, with an enterprise management server using the user credentials; and

responsive to the authenticating, prompting the user to modify the user entropy associated with the user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device and from an enterprise management server, the vault key, wherein the computing device encrypts the shared vault using the vault key received from the enterprise management server.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the computing device, the vault key, wherein the computing device encrypts the shared vault using the generated vault key.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stored data is stored within a first application vault associated with the first application, and wherein the first application vault resides in the vault database.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a second application that has access to the shared vault is unable to access the first application vault associated with the first application.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stored data is stored within a shared portion of the vault database and is accessible to a second application that has access to the shared vault.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

a first application stored in the memory; and

a shared vault comprising a vault record storage section and a vault database, wherein the vault database is encrypted using a vault key,

wherein the memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

receive, via the first application, user entropy from a user associated with the shared vault;

decrypt a first vault key record associated with the shared vault using the user entropy to generate a first copy of the vault key;

access, using the first copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve an unlock key, wherein the unlock key is operable to decrypt a second vault key record associated with the shared vault to generate a second copy of the vault key; and

store the unlock key in first application memory associated with the first application.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

decrypt a second vault key record associated with the shared vault using the unlock key stored in the first application memory to generate a second copy of the vault key; and

access, using the second copy of the vault key, the vault database to write first stored data.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the system to:

decrypt a second vault key record associated with the shared vault using the unlock key stored in the first application memory to generate a second copy of the vault key; and

access, using the second copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve first stored data.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the first vault key record is stored in the shared vault.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the second vault key record is stored in the shared vault.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the second vault key record is stored in a secured container that is secured using second entropy other than the user entropy.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second entropy comprises biometric data associated with the user.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the user entropy is a personal identification number (PIN) provided by the user.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the user entropy is a password provided by the user.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the vault database comprises:

a shared portion accessible by a plurality of applications that have access to the vault; and

a first application portion accessible to the first application and encrypted using first application entropy associated with the first application.

28. One or more non-transitory computer readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device to:

receive, by a first application executing on the computing device, first user entropy from a user associated with a shared vault, wherein the shared vault comprises a vault record storage section and a vault database, and wherein the vault database is encrypted using a vault key;

decrypt a first vault key record associated with the shared vault using the first user entropy to generate a first copy of the vault key;

access, by the first application and using the first copy of the vault key, the vault database to retrieve an unlock key;

generate, by the first application, a second vault key record based on the vault key and the unlock key;

store, by the first application, the second vault key record in a secured container that is secured using second user entropy other than the first user entropy;

receive, by the first application, the second user entropy from the user;

access, by the first application, the second vault key record from the secured container using the second user entropy; and

decrypt the second vault key record associated with the shared vault using the unlock key to generate a second copy of the vault key.

29. The computer readable media of claim 28, wherein the secured container is logically distinct from the shared vault, wherein the first user entropy comprises a passcode associated with the user, and wherein the second user entropy comprises biometric data associated with the user.