Native App Authentication via System Browser for Secure IdP Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Native applications that authenticate users with web services via web views face security issues, as they can access authentication data not intended for the web service provider, and existing systems lack a protocol-agnostic solution to overcome these limitations.
Innovation Solution
A native application intercepts a redirect request from the main gateway and forwards it to a system browser, using an embedded authentication server to communicate with a broker gateway, enabling secure user authentication through an identity provider, and partitions large authentication responses into smaller chunks to avoid browser prompts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If native application uses web view to interface with web service provider, then developer can save time and resources by reusing existing functionality, but application can access authentication data that would normally not be accessible to web service provider
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a system web browser as an intermediary component between the native application and the web service provider. The native application communicates authentication requests through the system web browser, which acts as a mediator to handle the authentication protocol with the identity provider and web service provider, thereby preventing the native application from directly accessing sensitive authentication data while still enabling secure authentication functionality.
2Reliability
If IdP prevents authentication via web views to address security issues, then security is improved, but existing systems do not provide a solution to overcome these limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal authentication mechanism that works across multiple identity providers (e.g., Facebook, Google, Salesforce) through a single system web browser interface. The native application can authenticate with any supported IdP without requiring separate custom native software for each provider, achieving both security through the system browser and versatility through multi-IdP support.
3Reliability
If native application intercepts redirect request and forwards to system web browser, then secure authentication is enabled, but additional system components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the existing system web browser as a self-service component that handles authentication automatically. The native application simply intercepts the redirect request and forwards it to the system web browser, which then autonomously manages the authentication process with the identity provider and web service provider, minimizing the need for additional complex custom components.
Data Source
AI summary
A native application on a client computing device enables secure user authentication via an identity provider (IdP) for accessing services of a web service provider. The native application forwards a redirect request generated by a main gateway of the service provider and including an IdP uniform resource locator (URL) to a system browser of the client computing device. The redirect request directs the system browser to a broker gateway of the service provider that registers an authentication response handler and redirects the system browser to the IdP URL to enable a user of the native client computing device to authenticate. After the broker gateway receives an IdP authentication response from the IdP following authentication by the user, the broker gateway provides the IdP authentication response to the native application for providing back to the main gateway. The main gateway finally processes the authentication response to complete the authentication request.