Controlling access by code

• US 10,032,007 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2018
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Yach, David Paul, Little, Herbert Anthony, Brown, Michael Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Avery, Jeremiah
• Application Number:
  US15/925,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20180211015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 127 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/067 using one-time keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for generation of one-time passwords H04L9/0863
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A novel code signing system, computer readable media, and method are provided. The code signing method includes receiving a code signing request from a requestor in order to gain access to one or more specific application programming interfaces (APIs). A digital signature is provided to the requestor. The digital signature indicates authorization by a code signing authority for code of the requestor to access the one or more specific APIs. In one example, the digital signature is provided by the code signing authority or a delegate thereof. In another example, the code signing request may include one or more of the following: code, an application, a hash of an application, an abridged version of the application, a transformed version of an application, a command, a command argument, and a library.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access by code to one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) of a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining whether the code is signed with an authentic digital signature indicating authorization for the code to access one or more sensitive APIs of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes at least one sensitive API and at least one non-sensitive API, wherein access to the at least one sensitive API is further restricted relative to the at least one non-sensitive API, wherein the authentic digital signature is generated by a code signing authority that issues authentic digital signatures external to the mobile device; and

controlling access by the code to the one or more sensitive APIs depending on whether the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling access by the code comprises:

granting the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling access by the code comprises:

denying the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is not signed with the authentic digital signature.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

granting the code access to the at least one non-sensitive API.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the code comprises any of the following:

a software application, an update to a software application, a command, a command argument, or a library.

6. A mobile device comprising:

one or more hardware processors enabled to determine whether code is signed with an authentic digital signature indicating authorization for the code to access one or more sensitive APIs of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes at least one sensitive API and at least one non-sensitive API, wherein access to the at least one sensitive API is further restricted relative to the at least one non-sensitive API, wherein the authentic digital signature is generated by a code signing authority that issues authentic digital signatures external to the mobile device; and

the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to control access by the code to the one or more sensitive APIs depending on whether the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to grant the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to deny the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is not signed with the authentic digital signature.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to grant the code access to the at least one non-sensitive API.

10. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the code comprises any of the following:

a software application, an update to a software application, a command, a command argument, or a library.

11. One or more non-transitory computer readable memories comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device cause the one or more processors to perform instructions comprising:

determining whether code is signed with an authentic digital signature indicating authorization for the code to access one or more sensitive APIs of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes at least one sensitive API and at least one non-sensitive API, wherein access to the at least one sensitive API is further restricted relative to the at least one non-sensitive API, wherein the authentic digital signature is generated by a code signing authority that issues authentic digital signatures external to the mobile device; and

controlling access by the code to the one or more sensitive APIs depending on whether the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 11, the instructions further comprising:

granting the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 11, the instructions further comprising:

denying the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is not signed with the authentic digital signature.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 13, the instructions further comprising:

granting the code access to the at least one non-sensitive API.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 11, wherein the code comprises any of the following:

a software application, an update to a software application, a command, a command argument, or a library.

16. A method of controlling access by code to one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) of a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining whether the code is signed with an authentic digital signature indicating authorization for the code to access one or more sensitive APIs of the mobile device, wherein the authentic digital signature is generated by a code signing authority that issues authentic digital signatures external to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes at least one sensitive API and at least one non-sensitive API, wherein access to the at least one sensitive API is further restricted relative to the at least one non-sensitive API, wherein the code signing authority includes any one or more of a manufacturer of the mobile device, an author of the one or more sensitive APIs, an author of the code, a representative of the manufacturer of the mobile device, a representative of an author of the one or more sensitive APIs, or a representative of the author of the code; and

controlling access by the code to the one or more sensitive APIs based on whether the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling access by the code comprises:

granting the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling access by the code comprises:

denying the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is not signed with the authentic digital signature.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

granting the code access to the at least one non-sensitive API.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the code comprises any of the following:

a software application, an update to a software application, a command, a command argument, or a library.

21. A mobile device comprising:

one or more hardware processors enabled to determine whether code is signed with an authentic digital signature indicating authorization for the code to access one or more sensitive APIs of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes at least one sensitive API and at least one non-sensitive API, wherein access to the at least one sensitive API is further restricted relative to the at least one non-sensitive API, wherein the authentic digital signature is generated by a code signing authority that issues authentic digital signatures external to the mobile device, wherein the code signing authority includes any one or more of a manufacturer of the mobile device, an author of the one or more sensitive APIs, an author of the code, a representative of the manufacturer of the mobile device, a representative of an author of the one or more sensitive APIs, or a representative of the author of the code; and

the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to control access by the code to the one or more sensitive APIs based on whether the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to grant the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

23. The mobile device of claim 21, the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to deny the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is not signed with the authentic digital signature.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, the one or more hardware processors being further enabled to grant the code access to the at least one non-sensitive AP.

25. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the code comprises any of the following:

a software application, an update to a software application, a command, a command argument, or a library.

26. One or more non-transitory computer readable memories comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device cause the one or more processors to perform instructions comprising:

determining whether code is signed with an authentic digital signature indicating authorization for the code to access one or more sensitive APIs of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes at least one sensitive API and at least one non-sensitive API, wherein access to the at least one sensitive API is further restricted relative to the at least one non-sensitive API, wherein the authentic digital signature is generated by a code signing authority that issues authentic digital signatures external to the mobile device, wherein the code signing authority includes any one or more of a manufacturer of the mobile device, an author of the one or more sensitive APIs, an author of the code, a representative of the manufacturer of the mobile device, a representative of an author of the one or more sensitive APIs, or a representative of the author of the code; and

controlling access by the code to the one or more sensitive APIs based on whether the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 26, the instructions further comprising:

granting the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is signed with the authentic digital signature.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 26, the instructions further comprising:

denying the code access to the one or more sensitive APIs if the code is not signed with the authentic digital signature.

29. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 28, the instructions further comprising:

granting the code access to the at least one non-sensitive API.

30. The one or more non-transitory computer readable memories of claim 26, wherein the code comprises any of the following:

a software application, an update to a software application, a command, a command argument, or a library.