Safe Browser Plugins Using Native Code Modules

• US 20130159394A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Antoine Labour, Jeffrey R. Timanus, Matthew Papakipos, Shiki Okasaka
• Inventors: LABOUR, Antoine, Papakipos, Matthew, Okasaka, Shiki, Timanus, Jeffrey R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system that executes a plugin for a web browser. During operation, the system obtains the plugin as a native code module and executes the native code module in a secure runtime environment. Next, the system enables communication between the native code module and the web browser by providing an interface bridge between the native code module and the web browser.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating execution of a plugin for a web browser, comprising:

providing an interface bridge between a native code module which implements the plugin and the web browser to enable communication between the native code module and the web browser; and

executing the native code module in the secure runtime environment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling communication between the native code module and an incompatible web browser with an incompatible plugin architecture by providing a second interface bridge between the interface bridge and the incompatible web browser.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the web browser and the incompatible web browser are associated with at least one of a Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) plugin architecture and an ActiveX plugin architecture.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating the native code module prior to executing the native code module in the secure runtime environment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling communication between the native code module and other plugins for the web browser using a shared memory interface between the native code module and the other plugins.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface bridge is implemented using at least one of, a remote procedure call (RPC) mechanism, a socket and a shared memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the interface bridge between the native code module and the web browser involves using an inter-module communication (IMC) runtime.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein communication between the native code module and the web browser over the IMC runtime is implemented using a proxy and a stub.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the proxy and the stub are used to reach objects associated with the native code module or the web browser.

10. A system for executing a plugin for a web browser, comprising:

a secure runtime environment configured to execute a native code module which implements the plugin; and

an interface bridge between the native code module and the web browser, wherein the interface bridge is configured to enable communication between the native code module and the web browser.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a second interface bridge between the interface bridge and an incompatible web browser with an incompatible plugin architecture, wherein the second interface bridge is configured to enable communication between the native code module and the incompatible web browser.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the web browser and the incompatible web browser are associated with at least one of a Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) plugin architecture and an ActiveX plugin architecture.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a validator configured to validate the native code module prior to executing the native code module.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a shared memory interface configured to enable communication between the native code module and other plugins for the web browser.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface bridge is implemented using at least one of, a remote procedure call (RPC) mechanism, a socket and a shared memory.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein providing the interface bridge between the native code module and the web browser involves using an inter-module communication (IMC) runtime.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein communication between the native code module and the web browser over the IMC runtime is implemented using a proxy and a stub.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the proxy and the stub are used to reach objects associated with the native code module or the web browser.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating execution of a plugin for a web browser, the method comprising:

providing an interface bridge between a native code module which implements the plugin and the web browser to enable communication between the native code module and the web browser; and

executing the native code module in the secure runtime environment.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

enabling communication between the native code module and an incompatible web browser with an incompatible plugin architecture by providing a second interface bridge between the interface bridge and the incompatible web browser.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the web browser and the incompatible web browser are associated with at least one of a Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) plugin architecture and an ActiveX plugin architecture.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

validating the native code module prior to executing the native code module in the secure runtime environment.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

enabling communication between the native code module and other plugins for the web browser using a shared memory interface between the native code module and the other plugins.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the interface bridge is implemented using at least one of, a remote procedure call (RPC) mechanism, a socket and a shared memory.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein providing the interface bridge between the native code module and the web browser involves using an inter-module communication (IMC) runtime.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein communication between the native code module and the web browser over the IMC runtime is implemented using a proxy and a stub.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the proxy and the stub are used to reach objects associated with the native code module or the web browser.