Cryptographic Binding of Browser and Native App Sessions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in securely establishing a cryptographic binding between external browser sessions and native application sessions, which is essential for single sign-on (SSO) across different environments, while preventing session hijacking attacks.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves generating a single sign-on token that is encrypted with a public key extracted from the external browser session, thereby establishing a cryptographic binding between the browser session and the native application session. This approach ensures secure session sharing between the two environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If session sharing is implemented between browser and native application, then single sign-on benefits are maximized, but security vulnerability to session hijacking increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession sharing capabilityVSAvoidsession hijacking vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces cryptographic tokens as an intermediary mechanism between the browser session and native application session. These tokens act as secure mediators that enable session sharing while preventing direct exposure of session credentials, thus eliminating session hijacking vulnerabilities while maintaining SSO adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the session identification mechanism by changing from direct session ID sharing to cryptographic token-based identification. This parameter change in the authentication approach maintains session sharing functionality while fundamentally altering the security model to prevent hijacking

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If cryptographic binding is established between browser and native application sessions, then security against session hijacking is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession securityVSAvoidcryptographic binding mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the cryptographic binding mechanism as a separate, standardized component that can be independently implemented and validated. By taking out the complex security logic into discrete token generation and verification steps, the system achieves high reliability while managing complexity through modular design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The cryptographic token mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides security against hijacking, enables session binding, and maintains SSO capability. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by consolidating multiple security requirements into a single unified mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250039164A1Cryptographic binding of native application and external browser sessions

Publication Date: 2025.01.30 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for receiving information associated with a final single sign-on page from a native browser, extracting a public key from the information associated with the final single sign-on page, generating a single sign-on token to bind a browser session and a native application session, associating the single sign-on token with the public key extracted from the information associated with the final single sign-on page, and encrypting the single sign-on token with the public key to bind the browser session and the native application session.