Abstract:
Systems and methods for providing a login context operate a virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine includes an open services platform and an authentication service, wherein the authentication service includes a classloader, and an initial classloader is designated as the classloader of the authentication service, register a login module, receive an authentication request from a first application, and responsive to receiving the authentication request designate a classloader associated with the login module as the classloader of the authentication service, generate a login context of the login module, and provide the login context of the login module to the first application, whereby the first application uses the login context to perform an authentication.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application No. 13/073,882, filed on Mar. 28, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Disclosure 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates generally to authentication. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    It is often desirable to make computing resources available to only authorized users, for instance to protect against malicious users and programs and to prevent overutilization of the resources. However, the computing resources should be available to authorized users and programs, and different computing resources may need different levels of security. Making the resources available to different users and programs is made more complicated because the resources may need to be accessed across multiple security domains, different security services may be used to secure the resources, and different software platforms may be used to interface with the security services. 
         [0006]    Computing environments provide some standardized tools to help solve these issues. In a Java® environment, the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) provides a security framework that enables developers to authenticate users and enforce access controls upon users. JAAS also standardizes interfaces and abstracts underlying authentication and authorization mechanisms. JAAS login modules do the actual authentication and authorization. However, login modules need to be determined before or at the time the virtual machine is started because login modules cannot be added or removed dynamically while the virtual machine is running. For example, OSGi platforms require the login modules provided by JAAS to be in the classpath of JAAS. In the Java Virtual Machine, the classpath includes directories or JAR files where the java compiler/runtime will look for .class files. For example, “example.class” will not be found by the Java Virtual Machine unless the classpath includes the directory or JAR file that includes “example.class”. Thus, the login modules must be added to the classpath before the Java Virtual Machine is started, which in turn prevents the dynamic addition and removal of login modules. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In one embodiment, a method for providing a login context comprises starting a virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine includes an open services platform and an authentication service, wherein the authentication service includes a classloader, and an initial classloader is designated as the classloader of the authentication service, registering a login module, receiving an authentication request from a first application, and responsive to receiving the authentication request designating a classloader associated with the login module as the classloader of the authentication service, generating a login context of the login module, and providing the login context of the login module to the first application, whereby the first application uses the login context to perform an authentication. 
         [0008]    In one embodiment, a computing device for creating a login context comprises a computer-readable storage device, and one or more processors configured to cause the computing device to perform operations including operating a virtual machine that includes a security platform, registering a first login module while the virtual machine is operating, assigning a first classloader associated with the first login module as a classloader of the security platform, generating a login context of the first login module, and providing the login context of the first login module to a first client application. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, one or more computer-readable media store instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising registering a security service while operating a virtual machine, the virtual machine including a security platform, designating a classloader associated with the security service as a classloader of the security platform, generating a context of the security service responsive to receiving a request for a context of the security service from a first application, wherein generating the context of the security service includes invoking the designated security platform classloader, and providing the context of the security service to the first application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a system for implementing security services. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a system for implementing security services. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a security device. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart that illustrates an embodiment of a method for adding security services. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart that illustrates an embodiment of a method for generating a login context. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrates an embodiment of a method for generating a login context. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a flow diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a system for implementing security services. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a block diagram that illustrates embodiments of security providers. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of a configuration table. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Though the following description includes certain explanatory embodiments, the scope of the claims is not limited to the explanatory embodiments. Additionally, the explanatory embodiments may include several novel features, and a particular feature may not be essential to practice the systems and methods described herein. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a system  100  for implementing security services. The system  100  permits the dynamic addition, modification, and removal of security services in an operating virtual machine, and the system includes an operating system  140  (also referred to herein as “OS”), a Java Virtual Machine  130  (also referred to herein as “JVM”), a Java Authentication and Authorization Service  135  (also referred to herein as “JAAS”), an Open Services Gateway initiative platform  120  (also referred to herein as “OSGi”), and a context factory  110 . The system  100  also includes a client application  170  and security providers  1  through N  150 - 1  to  150 -N, where N represents any number of security providers. The OS  140  acts as an intermediary between applications and hardware, manages the sharing of resources of a computing device, provides an interface to access those resources, and provides services for other applications. The JVM  130  is a platform-independent environment that converts code (e.g., JAVA bytecode) into machine language for execution. JAAS  135  implements authentication and authorization services and enforces access controls on applications and users. JAAS  135  allows different login modules to be configured into the system, and the different modules can be configured and accessed by applications through the JAAS Application Programming Interface (“API”). 
         [0021]    The OSGi platform  120  provides a module system and service platform for JAVA and an execution environment that can install, start, stop, update, and uninstall applications and components (also collectively referred to herein as “bundles”) without requiring a reboot of the JVM  130 . Bundles can make services available to other bundles. A bundle&#39;s services are added to a services registry so that other bundles can detect and use them, and the removal of a service from the registry can be used to detect the removal of the service. 
         [0022]    The system  100  also includes security providers that make security services available to other applications, modules, bundles, components, etc.  FIG. 1  illustrates security providers  1 -N ( 150 - 1 ,  150 - 2  . . .  150 -N, also referred to herein as “security providers  150 ”) where N represents any positive integer such that the system is capable of operating with the total number of security providers. The security providers  150  (also illustrated in  FIG. 8 ) may be implemented in bundles and make their services available as OSGi services (including adding the services to the OSGi services registry). The security providers  150  may include login modules and/or provide services that include JAAS authentication and authorization services. The client application  170  may also be a bundle, and the client application  170  may request one or more services (e.g., authentication, authorization) from the security providers  150 . 
         [0023]    The system  100  also includes a context factory  110  in the OSGi platform  120 . The context factory  110  facilitates the access of the security services by the client application  170 . When a security provider  150  is loaded onto the OSGi platform and started, the security provider  150  registers itself (e.g., with the context factory  110 , with the custom configuration unit  215  (shown in FIG.  2 )), including registering any service(s) provided by the security provider  150  and registering a classloader for the service provider and/or service(s). A classloader loads classes (e.g., Java Classes) into a virtual machine (e.g., the JVM). The class loader locates libraries, reads the contents of the libraries, and loads the classes contained within the libraries. The loading may be done “on demand,” (i.e., dynamically), and thus the loading may not be performed until the class is actually used by the JVM. 
         [0024]    The context factory  110  receives requests for the security service(s) from the client application  170  and returns an interface (e.g., a login context) of the security services to the client application  170 . A login context is an object that provides an interface to a security service, stores post-authentication user credential information, and/or lists privileges and permissions. A login context includes a “login” method that invokes a method from a security provider (e.g., from a login module). Also, a login context may be instantiated by JAAS and may comply with the JAAS API. By using the interface (e.g., login context, for example a LoginContext), the client application  170  may then interact with the security service(s) and the security provider  150  without the involvement of the context factory  110  (e.g., without the context factory  110  acting as a proxy). Thus, the client application  170  can use the normal API of JAAS  135  to communicate with the security service(s), which simplifies the design of the client application and/or the use of the security service(s). 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a system  200  for implementing security services. The system  200  includes an OS  240 , a JVM  230 , JAAS  235 , an OSGi platform  220 , a client application  270 , and a security provider  250 . Additionally, the system includes a context factory  210  and a custom configuration unit  215 . The custom configuration unit  215  registers the services and classloader of the security provider  250 . The custom configuration unit  215  includes a configuration table  217  that stores data about the security provider  250 , including the configuration name, the login module class name, and/or the login module classloader. The data about the security provider  250  may be stored in a respective configuration entry in the configuration table  217 . Additionally, in this embodiment, the context factory  210  is a bundle that makes its functionality available to other members of the system as one or more services, and the context factory  210  adds its services to the OSGi framework. Furthermore, the custom configuration unit  215  is a bundle and may also make its functionality available as one or more services, though in other embodiments the custom configuration unit  215  may not be a bundle (e.g., may be part of the OSGi platform  220 ). Thus, the system  200  allows the dynamic removal, modification, and addition of the context factory  210  and the custom configuration unit  215  while the JVM is running, as well as the dynamic addition and removal of security providers and client applications. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a security device  300 . The security device  300  communicates with computing resource  1   380  without a network and with computing resource  2   390  via a network  370 . The network  370  may include any combination of networks, including the Internet, WANs, and LANs and any combination of wired or wireless networks. Additionally, the security device  300  communicates with computing resource  1   380  via wired or wireless means, including, for example, USB, Ethernet, serial port, Firewire, Bluetooth, and WiFi. 
         [0027]    The security device  300  includes one or more processors  301  (also referred to herein as “CPU  301 ”), which may be a conventional or customized microprocessor(s). The CPU  301  is configured to read and execute computer readable instructions, and the CPU  301  may command/and or control other components of the security device  300 . The security device  300  also includes I/O interfaces  303 , which provide communication interfaces to other devices, including a keyboard, a display device, a mouse, a printing device, a touch screen, a light pen, an optical storage device, a scanner, a microphone, a camera, etc. The security device  300  also includes a memory  305 , which may be volatile or non-volatile, such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. The security device  300  further includes a network interface  307  that allows the security device  300  to communicate with the network  370 . The storage device  309  stores data or modules and may include, for example, a hard drive, an optical storage device, a diskette, and/or a solid state drive. The components of the security device  300  are connected via a bus. The security device  300  includes an operating system, which manages the hardware, the processes, the interrupts, the memory, and/or the file system of the security device  300 . 
         [0028]    The security device  300  also includes a context factory  310 , a custom configuration unit  315 , and a security provider  320 . The context factory  310 , the custom configuration unit  320 , and the security provider  320  may be implemented in computer-executable instructions. Computer-executable instructions may be executed by the security device  300  to cause the security device  300  to perform certain operations, including the methods described herein, though for purposes of description a member of the security device  300  may be described as performing the operations. Computer-executable instructions may include logic and may be implemented in software, firmware, and/or hardware. In other embodiments, the context factory  310  and the custom configuration unit  315  may be combined into a single member or further divided into more members. The security device  300  may control access to computing resource  1   380  and computing resource  2   390 , and may require client applications to perform authentication and/or authorization operations with the security provider  320  before accessing computing resource  1   380  and computing resource  2   390 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart that illustrating an embodiment of a method for adding security services. Other embodiments of this method and the other methods described herein may omit blocks, may add blocks, may change the order of the blocks, may combine blocks, and/or may divide blocks into separate blocks. Additionally, the components of the systems and devices shown in  FIGS. 1-3  (e.g., the context factory  110 , the custom configuration unit  215 ) may implement the method shown in  FIG. 4  and the other methods described herein. 
         [0030]    Beginning in block  400 , a virtual machine is started, such as a JAVA virtual machine. Next, in block  410 , a classloader for a security module is obtained. For example, a security module that includes an associated classloader may be installed as part of a bundle on a virtual machine that includes an OSGi platform, and the security module may provide the classloader (as well as login module name(s), class path, etc.) to a custom configuration unit as a parameter passed in a method call. Moving to block  420 , a configuration entry is generated for the security module. The configuration entry indicates the classloader and associates the classloader with the security module. Finally, in block  430 , the configuration entry is stored, for example in a configuration table in memory. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart that illustrates an embodiment of a method for generating a login context. Beginning in block  500 , a request to create a login context is obtained. The request may include, for example, a method call from a client application, bundle, module, component, etc., such as a Multifunction Embedded Application Platform (MEAP) application, and the request may indicate a desired login context or login module. In block  510 , the configuration entry associated with the requested login context is retrieved, for example from a configuration table. Next, in block  520 , the JAAS classloader is set to the classloader associated with the requested login context, and in block  530  the requested login context is generated. Finally, in block  540 , the login context is provided to the requesting application, bundle, module, component, etc. 
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart that illustrates an embodiment of a method for generating a login context. In stage  680 , a login module  651  is registered with a custom configuration unit  615 . Depending on the embodiment, the login module  651  may register itself with the custom configuration unit  615  or another application, module, bundle, etc. may register it (e.g., a bundle that includes the login module). In stage  682 , the custom configuration unit  615  records the information associated with the login module in a configuration table. 
         [0033]    Next, in stage  684 , a client application  670  requests a login context from the context factory  610 . In stage  686 , the context factory  610  retrieves the classloader for the requested login context from the custom configuration unit  615 . Proceeding to stage  688 , the context factory  610  performs a thread switch and changes the JAAS default classloader to the classloader for the requested login context. A thread is a unit of processing that can be scheduled by an operating system. Next, in stage  690  the context factory  610  requests the login context from JAAS  635 . In stage  692 , JAAS generates the login context using the classloader (and, in some embodiments, the class name (e.g., a login module&#39;s fully qualified class name), for example “com.canon.jaas.LoginModuleA”) associated with the login module  651 . During the thread switch, the context factory  610  and/or JAAS  635  are blocked from attempting to generate additional login contexts (e.g., a blocking call). Moving to stage  694 , the thread is restored, which permits the context factory  610  and/or JAAS  635  to generate additional login contexts, the JAAS classloader may be changed back to the JAAS default classloader, and the generated login context is returned to the client application  670 . Finally, in stage  696  the client application  670  requests a login from the login module  651  using the returned login context. Using the returned login context, the client application  670  can communicate with the login module and/or JAAS without the use of a proxy. Thus, the client application  670  may use standard JAAS interfaces to perform JAAS authentication. 
         [0034]      FIG. 7  is a flow diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a system for implementing security services. The system includes a client  770 , JAAS  735 , a context factory  710 , a custom configuration unit  715 , and login module(s)  751 . In stage  1 , the login module(s)  751  sends registration information to the custom configuration unit  715 . The login module(s)  751  may have been added as part of an OSGi bundle, and the login module(s)  751  may register itself/themselves with the custom configuration unit  715 . The registration information  705  may include an identifier of the module(s), the classloader, the class name, the callback handler, and/or the application configuration entry. The custom configuration unit  715  adds the registration information to the custom configuration table  717 . For example, the custom configuration unit  715  may store the registration information  705  in an entry associated with the login module(s)  751 . 
         [0035]    In stage  2 , the client  770  sends a request for a login context  713  to the context factory  710 . The request for a login context  713  identifies one or more requested login modules for which a login context is sought (e.g., the login module(s)  751 ). Next, in stage  3 , the context factory  710  sends a request for a classloader  720  for the requested login module(s) (in this example, the login module(s)  751 ). In response to receiving the request for a classloader  720 , the custom configuration unit  715  identifies the classloader associated with the requested login module(s) by referring to the configuration table  717  (e.g., maps the requested login module to the associated classloader). The custom configuration unit  715  then sends a reference to the login module classloader  725  to the context factory  710  in stage  4 . 
         [0036]    In stage  5 , the context factory  710  modifies the reference to the login module classloader in JAAS  735 . Initially, the login module classloader reference refers to the JAAS default classloader  745 , which is determined at runtime of the JVM. Since JAAS  735  will automatically refer to the login module classloader reference to find a classloader to instantiate a login context, and since JAAS  735  is not capable of changing the login module classloader reference while the JVM is running, the context factory  710  changes the login module classloader reference to refer to the login module classloader  750  instead of the default classloader  745 . The context factory  710  may also start a blocking thread in stage  5  to block the generation of other login contexts. The blocking may be important because JAAS  735  will use the classloader referred to by the login module classloader reference to generate a login context. Thus, if not blocked, JAAS  735  will use the login module classloader  750  to instantiate other requested login contexts while the login module classloader reference refers to the login module classloader  750 . However, the other requested login contexts may be requests for login contexts associated with the default classloader  745 . Therefore, it may be desirable to block the generation of other login contexts while the login module classloader reference refers to the login module classloader  750 . 
         [0037]    Once the login module classloader reference refers to the login module classloader  750 , in stage  6  the context factory  710  sends a request for a login context  717  to JAAS  735 . In stage  7 , JAAS  735  gets the classloader  730  (now the login module classloader  750 ) referred to by the login module classloader reference. In stage  8 , JAAS  735  receives a classloader reference  755  (which refers to the login module classloader  750 ). Next, in stage  9 , JAAS  735  instantiates a login context  760  using the login module classloader  750 . 
         [0038]    Proceeding to stage  10 , a reference to the login context  765  is returned to the context factory  710  by JAAS  735 . The context factory  710  may then change the login module classloader reference to refer to the default classloader  745  and end the blocking thread. Next, in stage  11 , the reference to the login context  765  is returned to the client  770 . Finally, in stage  12 , the client  770  uses the login context  760  to communicate with the login module(s)  751 . Thus, the client  770  communicates with the login module(s)  751  via the login context  760  in JAAS  735  without a proxy, and the client  770  can use the standard JAAS API to communicate with the login module  751 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 8  is a block diagram that illustrates embodiments of security providers that are implemented as OSGi bundles. The bundle of security provider A  850 - 1  includes login module A and classloader A. The bundle of security provider B  850 - 2  includes login module b and classloader B. The bundle of security provider C  850 - 3  includes multiple login modules, login module  1  to login module N (where N is any applicable number of login modules), and classloader C. The classloader C of security provider C is associated with multiple login modules and can be used to generate a login context that allows a client application to communicate with the associated login modules. 
         [0040]    Additionally, a classloader may be able to generate a login context that allows communication with only the login modules of the associated OSGi bundle. For example, classloader A may be used to generate a login context that allows a client application to communicate with login module A, but cannot generate a login context that allows a client application to communicate with login modules from other security providers (e.g., login module B, login module  1 ). Also, classloader C may be used to generate a login context that allows a client application to communicate with the login modules of security provider C (login module  1 , login module  2  . . . login module N), but cannot be used to generate a login context that allows a client application to communicate with the login modules of other security providers (e.g., login module A, login module B). 
         [0041]      FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of a configuration table  917 . The configuration table includes entries (e.g., entries  918 A-C) associated with respective login modules. In the embodiment shown, an entry includes a login module, its classloader, its class name, its callback handler, and its configuration entry. Thus, the configuration table  917  may be used to map a login module to any of the information associated with the login module (e.g., classloader, class name). 
         [0042]    The above described devices, systems, and methods can be achieved by supplying one or more storage media that store thereon computer-executable instructions for realizing the above described operations to one or more devices that are configured to read the computer-executable instructions stored in the one or more storage media and execute them. In this case, the one or more devices perform the operations of the above-described devices, systems, and methods when executing the computer-executable instructions read from the one or more storage media. Also, an operating system on the one or more systems and/or devices may implement one or more of the operations of the above described devices, systems, and methods. Thus, the computer-executable instructions and/or the one or more storage media storing the computer-executable instructions thereon constitute an embodiment. 
         [0043]    Any applicable computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk and a hard disk), an optical disc (including a CD, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc), a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, and a solid state device (including flash memory, DRAM, SRAM)) can be employed as a storage medium for the computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions may be written to a computer-readable storage medium provided on a function-extension board inserted into a device or on a function-extension unit connected to a device, and a CPU provided on the function-extension board or unit may implement the operations of the above-described devices, systems, and methods. 
         [0044]    This disclosure has provided a detailed description with respect to particular explanatory embodiments. The scope of the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.