Patent Application
20070005779
The embodiments relate generally to sending and receiving web page transmission and reception and more particularly to systems and methods for verifying that web pages are sent to the correct entity.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material to which the claim of copyright protection is made. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any person of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but reserves all other rights whatsoever.
Since its inception, the World-Wide Web (“Web”) has continuously grown to include literally billions of pages of information. Web pages typically comprise HTML (HyperText Markup Language) text with tags indicating how the text is to be displayed on a computer screen, typically through a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, or Mozilla Firefox.
The protocol for sending and receiving web pages, the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), was designed to be stateless. That is, requests for page information are processed independently and without any information regarding previous page requests. Stateless protocols are typically easier to implement than stateful protocol in which information is maintained between requests. However, for some types of web applications, there is a need to maintain some type of state information. For example, it is now common for users to have to “sign in” in order to view certain web pages. Examples of such web applications include ecommerce (electronic commerce) applications, subscription based applications, and applications that may present web pages that are customized with personalized information about the requestor. For these and other types of web applications, it is desirable to maintain state information between page requests.
One mechanism that has been developed to aid in maintaining state information between page requests is the web “cookie”. A cookie is a small file that is stored on a client computer that requests a web page. The cookie file contains information that may be read by a web server when responding to a page request. Such information may include a user identification, shopping cart information, and other data that may be useful as a user browses through the web pages that make up a web site. Cookies may also have an expiration time after which they are to be considered invalid.
While cookies have been useful in providing a means to carry state information from one request to another, they also can lead to security problems. In order to decrease response time and reduce network traffic, some entities such as ISPs (Internet Service Providers), gateways, or other organization may employ a proxy or caching server that caches previously requested web pages and provides the cached version of the page to a requestor. This typically reduces network and web server overhead because the web server does not have to process a page request if it is available from a proxy or caching server and/or because the request and associated response do not have to travel the entire network between the requesting application and the page originator.
Unfortunately, a proxy or caching server may also cache cookies, and may provide the cached cookies to a page requestor. In these cases, it is possible that the cookie will contain information allowing private or personalized content to be delivered to the wrong user. Additionally, once delivered to the wrong user, a private or personalization cookie may allow an unauthorized user to view and tamper with information they should not be able to access.
Systems and methods operate to verify the origin of page requests. The systems and methods use a client identification value that may be sent from a client to a server. The server uses the client identification value to determine that the origin of the request matches the origin of previous requests so that personalized or other private data is not improperly sent to the wrong client.
One aspect of the systems and methods includes creating the client identification value on the client and sending the client identification value to a server. The client identification value may then be compared in subsequent requests to the server to verify that the subsequent request comes from the same origin.
A further aspect of the systems and methods includes extracting a client-side transformed composite client identification value sent from a server to the client and comparing with the value maintained by the client. If the two match, processing a response page continues. Otherwise personalization content or other private data that would otherwise appear on the page is not displayed.
The present invention describes systems, methods, and machine-readable media of varying scope. In addition to the aspects and advantages of the present invention described in this summary, further aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by reading the detailed description that follows.
In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, electrical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the ways used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, terms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.
For the purposes of this specification, the term “client-side” is used to indicate that the value was generated by a client. Similarly, the term “server-side” is used to indicate that the value was generated by a server.
In the Figures, the same reference number is used throughout to refer to an identical component which appears in multiple Figures. Signals and connections may be referred to by the same reference number or label, and the actual meaning will be clear from its use in the context of the description.
The description of the various embodiments is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible instance of the invention. Numerous alternatives could be implemented, using combinations of current or future technologies, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.
In some embodiments, server 110 is a web server that provides web pages to clients 120. Examples of such web servers include the IIS (Internet Information Service) web server, the Apache web server, and the Netscape web server. The embodiments of the invention are not limited to a particular web server. Server 110 may include an encryption/decryption component 112, an authentication component 114, and a cookie management component 116.
Encryption/Decryption component 112 provides a mechanism to encrypt and/or decrypt information. It is sometimes desirable for server 112 to exchange encrypted messages with a client 120, for example when receiving password data or registration data. Encryption/Decryption component 112 may be used to encrypt or decrypt such messages. In some embodiments, encryption/decryption component 112 supports Crypt-MD5 encryption and decryption. Additionally, an encryption component may include hashing functions. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that various encryption/decryption methods are now available and others may be developed in the future and that such encryption methods are within the scope of the inventive subject matter.
Authentication component 114 provides a mechanism to create and read digitally a signed message such that a receiver of a signed message can determine that the message is authentic (i.e. from the source the message indicates it is from) and that the message has not been tampered with. Various authentication mechanisms are known in the art and may be used by server 110. The embodiments of the invention are not limited to a particular authentication mechanism.
Cookie management component 116 manages reading and creation of cookies for server 110. Cookie management component 116 may use authentication component 114 and encryption/decryption component 112 to process signed and/or encrypted portions of cookies.
In some embodiments, client 120 is a web application such as a browser that requests web pages from serve 110. Examples of such web browsers include Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Netscape Navigator. The embodiments of the invention are not limited to a particular client 120. In varying embodiments, client 120 may include an encryption/decryption component 122, an authentication component 124, scripting component 126 and a cookie management component 128.
Like its server based counterpart, encryption/decryption component 122 provides a mechanism to encrypt and/or decrypt information. Encryption/Decryption component 122 may be used to encrypt or decrypt messages exchanged with server 110. In some embodiments, encryption/decryption component 122 supports Crypt-MD5 encryption and decryption. Additionally, an encryption component may include hashing functions. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that various encryption/decryption methods are now available and others may be developed in the future and that such encryption methods are within the scope of the inventive subject matter.
Authentication component 124 provides a mechanism to create and read digitally a signed message such that a receiver of a signed message can determine that the message is authentic (i.e. from the source the message indicates it is from) and that the message has not been tampered with. Various authentication mechanisms are known in the art and may be used by client 120. The embodiments of the invention are not limited to a particular authentication mechanism.
Cookie management component 128 manages reading and creation of cookies for client 120. Cookie management component 128 may use authentication component 124 and encryption/decryption component 122 to process signed and/or encrypted portions of cookies.
Scripting component 126 provides a mechanism for interpreting executable scripts that may be downloaded or otherwise placed on a computer system executing browser 120. In some embodiments, scripting component 126 may interpret JavaScript. In alternative embodiments, scripting component 126 may read Visual Basic Script (VB Script). Other types of scripting languages either now known or developed in the future may be read and interpreted by scripting component 126.
Proxy/Caching server 104 may act as a proxy for a web service and/or may cache previously generated web pages. Proxy/Caching server 104 may serve previously generated pages to a client 120 if it determines that a request is for the same page as a previous request. The cached information may include cookies associated with the page.
Further details on the operation of the above components will be described below with reference to
Next, the client generates a client side identification value (block 204). In some embodiments, the client side identification value is generated through the execution of a script such as a JavaScript or VB script. In particular embodiments, the client side identification value comprises eight characters. An example script capable of generating for generating 628 (218*1012) unique client side identification values of eight characters is as follows:
Next, the system creates a composite client identification value using the server generated ID value and the client side identification value (block 206). In some embodiments, the composite client identification value may be created by appending the server generated ID value and the client side identification value. Alternative mechanisms for combining the server generated ID value and the client side identification value are possible and within the scope of the inventive subject matter.
Next, in some embodiments the composite client identification value is transformed (block 208). The transformation may be a hashing function. An example hash function used in some embodiments is as follows:
In alternative embodiments, the transformation may comprise applying a digest algorithm to the composite client identification value.
In
Returning to
Later, in some embodiments, the client receives a response from a server containing a personalization cookie (block 212). The personalization cookie may contain a client-side transformed clientID value. As noted above, the transformation may include hashing or digesting the clientID value.
Next, the client compares the client-side transformed composite client identification value in the personalization cookie with a transformed composite client identification value maintained by the client (block 214). If the two match, the client continues to process the web page that may contain personalized or private data (block 216). Otherwise, the client disables the viewing of personalized or private data (block 218).
In the method described above, the transformed client identification value is sent from the server to the client in a personalization cookie. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that other types of cookies could be used to contain the transformed client identification value, and that the use of these other types of cookies are within the scope of the inventive subject matter.
It should be noted that in the method of the embodiments described above, the server does not send a clear text version of the client identification value to a client. This is desirable because it avoids the problem of having a clear text version of the client identification value inappropriately cached on a caching or proxy server.
An exception to the above may occur in embodiments of the invention where the client is not capable of scripting, or where scripting has been disabled in the client. In these embodiments, the server send the client identification value once, for example when a user signs in to retrieve personalized data. The client then returns the untransformed server generated client identification value in requests to the server.
The server checks the authentication and/or signing data to determine if the authentication cookie has been altered or tampered with (block 304). If the authentication cookie is determined to be tampered with or altered, the method proceeds to block 312 to de-authenticate the client.
Next, the server checks to see if an server-side encrypted composite client ID is contained by the cookie (block 305). If so, the server decrypts the server-side encrypted composite client ID. Otherwise, the authentication cookie was most likely received from a client that does not support origin checking. The method then proceeds to block 310 to continue processing the request.
Otherwise, the server checks to determine if a composite client ID value has also been received (block 306). If a composite client ID has been received, it is compared to the decrypted composite client ID in the authentication cookie (block 308). If they match, the request is most likely from the same client that previously requested personalized or private data. The server continues to process the request (block 310).
If a composite client ID is not received at block 306, or if the composite client ID does not match the decrypted composite client ID from the authentication cookie, then the server de-authenticates the client (block 312). Here the server may refuse to provide personalized or private data to the requesting client on the assumption that a different client issued the request than the original client. In some embodiments, the server may re-issue a sign-on request page in order to have the client provide the appropriate credentials (e.g. user ID and password) in order to allow the client to view the personalized or private data.
In some cases, a user may disallow cookies during a browser session. In this case, the server may detect that a composite client ID is not received and re-issue a sign-on request page forcing the user provide the appropriate credentials to regain access to pages containing personalized or private data. If cookies are disallowed, the server will not receive composite client ID values in subsequent responses and in some embodiments the server will no longer check to make sure requests for personalized data are coming from the same client as previous requests.
Similarly, a user may delete cookies during a browser session. Like the case described above, the server may detect that a composite client ID is not received and re-issue a sign-on page forcing the user provide the appropriate credentials to regain access to pages containing personalized or private data. However in this case, a subsequent response will contain a new composite client ID value, and the server will continue to check to make sure requests for personalized data are coming from the same client as previous requests using the new composite client ID values generated when the user provides sign-on credentials to request personalized or private data.
Server 110 then creates a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) and assigns a server generated client ID. The server generated ID is sent to client 120 as part of response message 504. The response message may be securely sent using HTTPS.
Client 120 then generates a client side ID to append to the server generated ID and also generates a hash value to append to the composite client ID. The client then issues a request containing sign-in credentials and a client ID cookie containing the composite client ID in request message 506.
Server 110 authenticates the users credentials in message 506, and using a secret salt value associated with the user encrypts the composite client ID sent from the client. The encrypted value may be inserted into a signed authentication cookie. In addition, in some embodiments, a transformed value of the client ID is sent in a personalization cookie. The authentication cookie and the personalization cookie may be sent to the client in response 508. However, as noted above, the client ID is not returned to the server in a clear text form.
Client 120 may issue subsequent requests for personalized and/or private data in messages 510. The client may include authentication cookies, personalization cookies and clientid cookies.
Server 110 may check requests by detecting cookie poisoning using the message signature. In addition, server 110 decrypts the composite client identification value in the authentication cookie and compares it to the composite client identification value in the clientid cookie. If no poisoning or other tampering is apparent, and if the composite client ID values match, the server issues response message 512, with the authentication and personalization cookies. As part of issuing the response message, the server may update the cookies' validation time to insure that the cookies do not expire prematurely and will continue to be considered valid.
At some point in time, a second client 550 may issue a request 514 for personalization or private data, requesting a same web page as previously used by client 110. Proxy 104, either through error or misconfiguration may return a cached response 516 that includes client 110's authentication cookies. In this situation, client 550 may detect that the transformed value of the client ID does not match its client ID, or that its client id value does not match that in the cached response. Client 550 may then disable display of the personalization or private data.
Additionally, client 550 may send a subsequent request message 518 containing client 110's authentication cookie, but client 550 will not typically be able to generate the same client ID value as client 110. Server 110 may detect the mismatch or absence of client ID value match client 110, and issue a response message 520 indicating that authentication and/or verification failed. The response may request that client 550 reauthenticate in order to obtain the personalized or private data properly associated with client 550.
The exemplary computer system 600 includes a processor 602 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) a graphics processing unit (GPU) or both), a main memory 604 and a static memory 606, which communicate with each other via a bus 608. The computer system 600 may further include a video display unit 610 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 600 also includes an alphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 614 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 616, a signal generation device 618 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device 620.
The disk drive unit 616 includes a machine-readable medium 622 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 624) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software 624 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 604 and/or within the processor 602 during execution thereof by the computer system 600, the main memory 604 and the processor 602 also constituting machine-readable media.
The software 624 may further be transmitted or received over a network 626 via the network interface device 620. The network 626 may be any type of wired or wireless network and the network interface 620 may vary based on the type of network. In some embodiments, the network comprises a LAN (local area network). In alternative embodiments, the network may be a wide area network, a corporate network, or an intranet linking multiple networks. In further alternative embodiments, the network may comprise the Internet.
While the machine-readable medium 622 is shown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to included, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals, including optical and electromagnetic signals.
Systems and methods for using cookies to verify the origins of web related request have been described. Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.
The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b) to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
