Single-Use Token Resource Security API
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtualization technologies face challenges in securely managing access to protected resources across different accounts, particularly in scenarios where a computing service provider needs to access customer credentials or write data to protected resources without violating data security policies.
Innovation Solution
A resource security API is implemented to generate and manage single-use tokens, allowing one-time access to protected resources while preventing further access by disabling the token, thus ensuring secure one-time access and preventing unauthorized reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional access control methods are used to allow service provider access to customer resources, then service provider can access customer credentials and protected resources, but data security policies are violated and unauthorized access risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-generates single-use tokens before the service provider needs to access customer resources. These tokens are stored in a token data store with associated metadata including usage counts. When access is needed, the system validates and consumes one token from the pre-generated pool, eliminating the need for real-time authorization decisions that could compromise security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a token-based intermediary mechanism between the service provider and customer resources. Instead of direct access, the service provider uses single-use tokens as mediators that are validated by a token validation service. This intermediary layer ensures that access requests are authorized without exposing customer credentials or requiring continuous authentication.
2Productivity
If continuous access tokens are used to allow service provider access to protected resources, then service provider can repeatedly access resources, but security is compromised and data leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs single-use tokens that are designed to be consumed once and then invalidated. Each token has a limited lifespan and can only be used a specific number of times (typically once). After use, the token is marked as consumed in the token data store, preventing any further access. This disposable approach ensures that even if tokens are compromised, the window for unauthorized access is extremely limited.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic token generation and validation. Tokens are generated in advance in discrete batches and consumed periodically as access is needed. The token validation service periodically checks token status against the token data store to ensure tokens have not been consumed. This periodic structure replaces continuous access with discrete, controlled access events.
3Reliability
If access control mechanisms are implemented to prevent unauthorized access, then data security is improved, but access complexity and system overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The access control system is segmented into distinct functional components: a token generation service that creates tokens, a token data store that persists token information, and a token validation service that verifies tokens. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system architecture by separating concerns between token creation, storage, and validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses token copies or references stored in the token data store rather than storing actual customer credentials or access permissions. The validation service works with token identifiers and metadata copies rather than the underlying sensitive data. This copying approach reduces the complexity of secure data storage and retrieval while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
A technology is described for one-time access to a protected resource. In one example, a resource security API (Application Programming Interface) may receive a request for a protected resource. The request may be associated with a launch of a software container in a service provider environment to host a process associated with a customer account. The resource security API may identify a single-use token linked to the software container that allows the resource security API to provide the protected resource. The resource security API may send the protected resource to the software container in response to the request when the single-use token is identified, and the resource security API may disable the single-use token linked to the software container to prevent additional requests associated with the software container from accessing the protected resource.