Secure Token Service for Cloud Identity Propagation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hybrid cloud scenarios, cloud applications face challenges in securely propagating user identities to backend systems without reusing consumed security tokens, as they are unsuitable for generating highly sensitive security tokens, risking malicious access and authentication issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Secure Token Service (STS) that generates and verifies Token Granting Tokens (TGTs) and Service Tokens (STs), using the SAML 2.0 protocol to ensure secure identity propagation from the cloud application to the backend system, thereby shielding the cloud application from token generation and verification responsibilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cloud applications generate security tokens directly, then token generation flexibility is improved, but security risk increases due to potential malicious access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Secure Token Service (STS) as an intermediary between the cloud application and the token generation process. The STS receives security response messages from the application, verifies them, and generates the actual security tokens. This mediator architecture allows the application to maintain flexibility in requesting tokens while the STS ensures security by validating requests before token issuance, preventing malicious applications from generating unauthorized tokens.
2Productivity
If consumed security tokens are reused for identity propagation, then authentication efficiency is improved, but security reliability deteriorates due to unsuitability for sensitive token generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication process into distinct phases: initial authentication using consumed security tokens, and subsequent identity propagation using newly generated Service Tokens. The STS separates the verification of initial tokens from the generation of propagation tokens, allowing efficient reuse of authentication results while ensuring reliable, fresh tokens are created for sensitive operations through the secured STS process.
3Ease of operation
If cloud applications manage token generation themselves, then operational simplicity is improved, but device complexity increases due to security responsibilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex security management responsibilities from the cloud application and places them in the Secure Token Service. The application only needs to send simple security response messages to the STS, while the STS handles the complex tasks of verifying security responses, managing cryptographic operations, and generating tokens. This extraction maintains operational simplicity for applications while centralizing security complexity in the dedicated STS infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products for providing secure identity propagation in a cloud-based computing environment. One computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a user, a first security response message, transmitting, to the user in response to receiving the first security response message, a second security response message, wherein the second security response message comprises a Token Granting Token (TGT), receiving, from a cloud application, a Service Token (ST) request, wherein the ST request comprises the TGT, verifying the ST request based on the TGT, generating, in response to the verifying, a ST, wherein the ST is used to validate an access request to access a backend system, and transmitting the ST to the cloud application.