Role-Based GUI Widget Access Control via Privilege Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current graphical user interfaces (GUIs) lack a control mechanism to restrict system administrators' activities to only those appropriate for their role and tasks, leading to potential misuse or unauthorized access to applications and data.
Innovation Solution
A protected GUI is implemented that modifies widget functions based on a privilege configuration, disabling unauthorized actions and providing visual indicators for disabled functions, ensuring that only authorized interactions are processed by the operating system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If system administrators are granted full access to manage endpoint devices, then device management capability is improved, but security risk increases due to potential misuse or unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The GUI is segmented into multiple views based on user roles and tasks. A privilege configuration file defines which views (e.g., server view, storage view, network view) are accessible to specific users or groups. This segmentation restricts administrators to only the portions of the GUI necessary for their specific tasks, reducing security risks while maintaining full management capability within authorized boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions or portions of the GUI have different access controls applied locally. The system applies role-based access control at the view level, allowing different users to see and interact with different portions of the same GUI based on their privileges. This enables tailored access rights for different administrative functions without requiring separate systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all widget functions are enabled in the GUI, then user functionality is improved, but unauthorized access risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The GUI dynamically adapts its functionality based on the user's role and assigned tasks. The system loads only the necessary views and widget functions corresponding to the user's privileges, enabling or disabling specific functions automatically. This dynamic configuration maintains high adaptability for authorized operations while inherently preventing unauthorized access by making unavailable functions invisible or non-functional.
3Reliability
If role-based access control is implemented in the GUI, then security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A privilege configuration file serves as an intermediary between the user authentication system and the GUI rendering system. This configuration file contains pre-defined role mappings and view assignments, allowing the system to enforce role-based access control through a simple configuration file rather than complex hard-coded logic. The intermediary layer simplifies the implementation by decoupling security policies from application code.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer program products for a protected graphical user interface for role-based application and data access are provided herein. A method for controlling access on an endpoint device to at least a portion of an application includes obtaining a default configuration indicating whether one or more widget functions associated with the application are enabled in a graphical user interface; modifying one or more of the widget functions in the default configuration to a disabled status in the graphical user interface based on a privilege configuration; determining if one or more user click events generated using the graphical user interface are associated with a widget function having the disabled status; and preventing the user click events having the disabled status from being provided to an operating system for further processing, wherein at least one of the steps is carried out by a computing device.