Privilege Escalation Driver for Process Execution Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Processes often fail to access required system resources due to limited user context, necessitating administrator intervention for elevated access.

Innovation Solution

A driver determines the execution role of a process by accessing configuration data, allowing or denying access based on predefined privileges, enabling processes to execute with escalated or elevated rights as needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a process executes in the context of the user who launched it, then user security and access control are maintained, but the process cannot access required system resources that need elevated privileges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess controlVSAvoidresource access

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the privilege escalation system with configuration data store and driver) that mediates between the user context and the required elevated privileges. The system intercepts process execution requests, checks configuration data, and selectively escalates privileges when needed, allowing processes to operate in user context while gaining temporary elevated access when authorized.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If another user with administrator rights logs in to enable resource access, then the process can access required resources, but user convenience and operational efficiency are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource accessVSAvoidadministrator intervention

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by allowing processes to automatically determine their own execution roles through the configuration data store. Instead of requiring administrator intervention, the system autonomously checks configuration data, determines appropriate privileges, and enables process execution without human admin involvement, thereby maintaining security while improving convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Extent of automation

If configuration data is maintained to determine execution roles, then automated privilege control is enabled, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivilege controlVSAvoidconfiguration data management

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring execution roles and associated privileges in the configuration data store before process execution occurs. The system stores predetermined role configurations that can be quickly retrieved and applied during process execution, avoiding the need for complex real-time privilege determination logic and reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8806494B2Managed control of processes including privilege escalation

Publication Date: 2014.08.12 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Determining execution rights for a process. A user selects a process for execution. A driver intercepts the execution and communicates with a service or its remote agent. Configuration data is accessed to determine an execution role specifying whether the process should be denied execution or should execute with particular rights to access or modify system resources. The execution role is provided to the driver, and the driver allows or denies execution of the process in accordance with the provided execution role.