Rolling Security Token Recovery via Dual Refresh Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In unreliable networks, the loss of security token pairs can lead to credential continuity issues, requiring clients to re-register for access, which involves interactions with a help desk and can result in service disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A method where a server computer stores both the initial and most recently generated refresh tokens, invalidates older tokens upon receiving a valid access token, and maintains the most recently generated token pair as valid, ensuring seamless access and risk management by logging events and performing risk analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the server stores only the most recently generated token pair, then storage efficiency is improved, but credential continuity is lost when tokens are transmitted over unreliable networks
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary action by storing the previous refresh token (r1) before generating and transmitting the new token pair (a2, r2). This preparatory storage ensures that if the new tokens are lost in transmission, the client can still use the previously stored refresh token to obtain new access tokens, thereby maintaining credential continuity without requiring full re-registration.
2Reliability
If the server maintains multiple valid refresh tokens, then access continuity is improved, but security risk from token reuse increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically manages refresh token validity by automatically invalidating the previous refresh token (r1) once the client successfully uses the new access token (a2) to access protected resources. This dynamic invalidation ensures that at any given time, only the current legitimate refresh token remains valid, eliminating security risks from token reuse while maintaining access continuity during the brief window before invalidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The server implements feedback by monitoring whether the client successfully receives and uses the new access token. Based on this feedback, the server determines whether to invalidate the previous refresh token. If the client successfully accesses resources with the new token, the previous token is invalidated; if access fails (indicating token loss), the previous token remains valid for recovery, thus balancing security and continuity.
3Reliability
If the client re-registers for access after token loss, then security is improved, but service disruption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the client to automatically recover lost tokens using the previously stored refresh token without requiring manual intervention from help desk personnel. The client can independently obtain new access tokens through the refresh operation, eliminating the need for time-consuming re-registration processes and reducing operational complexity while maintaining security through automatic token invalidation of the previous refresh token.
Data Source
AI summary
An aspect of recovery from rolling security token loss includes storing, in a memory device accessible by a server computer, a token pair (B) transmitted to a client device. The token pair (B) includes an access token (a2) and a refresh token (r2) and is generated as part of a refresh operation. An aspect also includes storing, in the memory device, a refresh token (r1) that was generated by the server computer before generation of the token pair B. The refresh token (r1) and the refresh token (r2) are each tagged as a valid refresh token. An aspect further includes receiving, at the server computer, a request to access a network resource that includes the access token (a2), invalidating the refresh token (r1), and providing the client device with access to the network resource.