Selective file access for applications

• US 9,773,102 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Graham, Scott, Radhakrishnan, Kavitha, Iskin, Sermet, Blanch, Katrina M., Ball, Steven, Hazen, John, Beam, Tyler Kien, Kim, Allen, Quintero, Guillermo Enrique Rueda
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baotran N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHESHTI SHIRAZI, SAYED ARESH
• Application Number:
  US13/229,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,209 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3, 726 1, 726 22, 726 30, 713176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• 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

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for enabling selective file system access by applications. An application is installed in a computing device. An application manifest associated with the application is received. The application manifest indicates one or more file types that the application is allowed to access. The indicated file type(s) are registered in a location accessible by a broker service. The application is launched as an application process. The application process is isolated in an application container. The application container prevents direct access by the application process to file system data. An access request related to first data of the file system data is received at the broker service from the application process. Access by the application process to the first data is enabled when the broker service determines that a file type of the first data is included in the registered file type(s).

Claims

1. A method in a broker service operating in a computing device, comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, an access request related to first data of a file system in the computing device containing data from an application process, the application process being a launched version of an application, the application process residing in an application container that prevents direct access by the application process to the file system, the access request including a token for the application process that includes an identifier for the application container and an indication of the first data requested in the access request; and

enabling access by the application process to the first data, through the broker service that is operating in the computing device by retrieving the first data from a file storage of the file system, when the broker service determines that a file type of the first data is included in one or more file types registered for the application as file types currently associated with the application that the application is allowed to access, the one or more file types read from an application manifest received during an installation of the application process, and indications of the one or more file types stored in a secure location in the computing device accessible to the broker service and not accessible by the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more file types include one or more file extensions, file kinds, or other file attributes or metadata, wherein said enabling comprises:

accessing the registered one or more file extensions, file kinds, or other file attributes or metadata in the secure location accessible by the broker service and not accessible by the application process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling access by the application process comprises:

determining a file type of the first data based on the indication of the first data requested in the access request;

accessing the registered one or more file types for the application in the secure location;

determining whether the file type of the first data is included in the registered one or more file types; and

enabling the application process to access the first data when the file type of the first data is determined to be included in the registered one or more file types.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said enabling access by the application process further comprises:

denying access by the application process to the first data when the file type of the first data is determined to not be included in the registered one or more file type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said denying comprises:

denying access by the application process to read a file of the first data, to read contents of a folder of the first data, to write to at least one of a file or folder of the first data, to rename a file or folder of the first data, to move a file or folder of the first data, or to copy over a file or folder of the first data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

loading the application process into the application container; and

generating a token for the application process that includes an identifier for the application container, the token being unmodifiable by the application process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application container denies direct access by the application process to file system data.

8. A non-signal computer-readable storage device having program instructions recorded thereon that, when executed by one or more processing devices of a computing device, perform a method in a broker service operating in the computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, an access request related to first data of a file system in the computing device containing data from an application process, the application process being a launched version of an application, the application process residing in an application container that prevents direct access by the application process to the file system, the access request including a token for the application process that includes an identifier for the application container and an indication of the first data requested in the access request; and

enabling access by the application process to the first data, through the broker service that is operating in the computing device by retrieving the first data from a file storage of the file system, when the broker service determines that a file type of the first data is included in one or more file types registered for the application as file types currently associated with the application that the application is allowed to access, the one or more file types read from an application manifest received during an installation of the application process, and indications of the one or more file types stored in a secure location in the computing device accessible to the broker service and not accessible by the application.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the one or more file types include one or more file extensions, file kinds, or other file attributes or metadata, wherein said enabling comprises:

accessing the registered one or more file extensions, file kinds, or other file attributes or metadata in the secure location accessible by the broker service and not accessible by the application process.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein said enabling access by the application process comprises:

determining a file type of the first data based on the indication of the first data requested in the access request;

accessing the registered one or more file types for the application in the secure location;

determining whether the file type of the first data is included in the registered one or more file types; and

enabling the application process to access the first data when the file type of the first data is determined to be included in the registered one or more file types.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein said enabling access by the application process further comprises:

denying 0access by the application process to the first data when the file type of the first data is determined to not be included in the registered one or more file type.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein said denying comprises:

denying access by the application process to read a file of the first data, to read contents of a folder of the first data, to write to at least one of a file or folder of the first data, to rename a file or folder of the first data, to move a file or folder of the first data, or to copy over a file or folder of the first data.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

loading the application process into the application container; and

generating a token for the application process that includes an identifier for the application container, the token being unmodifiable by the application process.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the application container denies direct access by the application process to file system data.

15. A computing system, comprising:

at least one memory configured to store instructions to be executed;

at least one processor device configured to execute the instructions; and

a broker service executing on the at least one processor device, the broker service configured to;

receive an access request related to first data of a file system in the computing device containing data from an application process, the application process being a launched version of an application, the application process residing in an application container that prevents direct access by the application process to the file system, the access request including a token for the application process that includes an identifier for the application container and an indication of the first data requested in the access request; and

enable access by the application process to the first data, through the broker service that is operating in the computing device by retrieving the first data from a file storage of the file system, when the broker service determines that a file type of the first data is included in one or more file types registered for the application as file types currently associated with the application that the application is allowed to access, the one or more file types read from an application manifest received during an installation of the application process, and indications of the one or more file types stored in a secure location in the computing device accessible to the broker service and not accessible by the application.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the one or more file types include one or more file extensions, file kinds, or other file attributes or metadata, wherein the broker service is configured to:

access the registered one or more file extensions, file kinds, or other file attributes or metadata in the secure location accessible by the broker service and not accessible by the application process.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein broker service is configured to:

determine a file type of the first data based on the indication of the first data requested in the access request;

access the registered one or more file types for the application in the secure location;

determine whether the file type of the first data is included in the registered one or more file types; and

enable the application process to access the first data when the file type of the first data is determined to be included in the registered one or more file types.

18. The computing system of claim 17, wherein broker service is further configured to:

deny access by the application process to the first data when the file type of the first data is determined to not be included in the registered one or more file type.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein broker service is configured to:

deny access by the application process to read a file of the first data, to read contents of a folder of the first data, to write to at least one of a file or folder of the first data, to rename a file or folder of the first data, to move a file or folder of the first data, or to copy over a file or folder of the first data.

20. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the token is unmodifiable by the application process.