Session-Randomized URL Mapping for Sensitive Data Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing REST GET calls in network management interfaces can expose sensitive information through URL logging in various places, posing a risk if these logs are compromised.
Innovation Solution
A computing system with client-side and server-side components generates a dynamically and randomly generated URL map per session, modifies URLs with random characters based on this map, and decodes them back on the server-side to protect sensitive information during transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If URLs containing sensitive information are transmitted in GET calls, then the web application can function properly and retrieve data, but the sensitive information may be exposed through URL logging in browsers, gateways, CDNs, and load balancers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary encoding mechanism that transforms sensitive URL parameters into obscured forms during transmission. The client-side component encodes sensitive information before including it in GET call URLs, and the server-side component decodes it upon receipt. This intermediary encoding layer prevents direct exposure of sensitive information in logs while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation in URLs by applying encoding transformations. Sensitive parameters are transformed from their original readable form into encoded forms that appear as random characters. The encoding/decoding process modifies the parameter state between transmission and processing, ensuring sensitivity protection while preserving data integrity.
2Ease of operation
If URL logging is implemented for monitoring and debugging purposes, then system operations can be tracked, but sensitive information in URLs may be compromised if logs are leaked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms URL parameters through encoding before they can be logged. By changing the parameter representation from sensitive to obscured form, the logging capability is preserved for operational tracking while the sensitive information content is protected. The encoded parameters appear as non-sensitive random data in logs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of URL logging into a benefit by using the logging mechanism to capture encoded rather than plaintext sensitive information. The same logging infrastructure that could expose sensitive data now captures obscured versions, turning a security risk into a protective measure while maintaining monitoring capabilities.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If sensitive information is encoded in URLs during transmission, then information disclosure is prevented, but additional encoding and decoding operations increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service encoding and decoding where the client-side component performs encoding automatically before transmission, and the server-side component performs decoding automatically upon receipt. The system serves itself by handling the transformation operations without requiring external security infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining protection.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for protecting against sensitive data disclosure includes receiving a user request to launch a web application in a web browser; loading code for the web application in the web browser; requesting session initialization from a web server; and receiving a dynamically and randomly generated URL map specific to a session from the web server, wherein the URL map identifies a plurality of randomly generated URL positions and for each URL position a randomly generated number of characters to skip. The method further includes modifying sensitive information associated with a URL in accordance with the URL map; transmitting the URL with the modified sensitive information to the web server; and receiving a requested data object from the web server, wherein the web server decoded the URL with the modified sensitive information to recover the sensitive information and used the decoded URL to access the data object.