Browser Integrity Verification for Trustworthy Web App Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing web applications lack efficient methods to verify their trustworthiness before initiating requests to web servers, which can lead to fraudulent or malicious activities, compromising the integrity of information and responses.
Innovation Solution
A method where web browsers modify requests with integrity elements, such as cryptographic hashes or digital signatures, to enable web servers to verify the trustworthiness of web applications, ensuring the integrity of the request and response process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If web applications send requests to web servers without verification, then the request processing speed is fast, but the security and trustworthiness of the application is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The browser performs preliminary verification of the web application's trustworthiness by checking integrity elements (cryptographic hashes, digital signatures) before the web server processes the request. This preliminary action ensures that only trustworthy applications can initiate requests, maintaining security without slowing down the actual request processing at the server side.
Solution Approach 2:
The browser acts as an intermediary between the web application and the web server, verifying the application's trustworthiness through integrity elements before allowing the request to proceed. This intermediary verification mechanism ensures security while keeping the server's request processing fast and efficient.
2Reliability
If integrity verification mechanisms are implemented, then security against fraudulent activities is improved, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The web browser automatically performs integrity verification of web applications using built-in mechanisms to check cryptographic hashes and digital signatures. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex external verification systems, as the browser itself handles the security checks transparently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses cryptographic parameters (hash functions, digital signatures) to verify trustworthiness rather than complex structural changes. By changing the verification parameter from manual inspection to automated cryptographic validation, the system achieves high security with minimal added complexity.
3Reliability
If cryptographic verification is performed for each request, then trustworthiness is ensured, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The browser performs cryptographic verification of the web application's integrity elements (such as Subresource Integrity hashes) in advance, before the web server needs to process the request. This preliminary verification ensures that the application is trustworthy without adding time to the actual request processing, as the verification occurs during the application loading phase.
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure relates to verifying the trustworthiness of web applications. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining, by a browser of a client device, an electronic resource comprising code for a web application. The browser renders the electronic resource, including processing the code of the web application. The code causes the browser to initiate a request to a remote server. In response to processing the code, the request is generated and modified to include at least a portion of an integrity element for the web application. The modified request is sent to the remote server. A response to the request is received from the remote server. The response is based on the remote server verifying that the web application is trustworthy using the integrity element. Data is displayed based on the response.