Patent ID: 7073062

Claim:
A method for authenticating software modules that execute on a data processing system, the method comprising: executing an instance of a first class on the data processing system; in response to initiating a call from the instance of the first class to a second class, initiating an instantiation of the second class to create an instance of the second class; while performing the instantiation of the second class, calling a class constructor for the second class; during execution of the class constructor for the second class, determining a codebase for the first class; during execution of the class constructor for the second class, attempting by the second class to verify a digital signature on the codebase for the first class; in response to a successful verification of the digital signature on the codebase for the first class, successfully completing the instantiation of the second class; in response to successfully completing the instantiation of the second class, determining by the first class a codebase for the second class; in response to determining by the first class the codebase for the second class, attempting by the first class to verify a digital signature on the codebase for the second class; and in response to a successful verification of the digital signature on the codebase for the second class, performing the call from the instance of the first class to the instance of the second class.