Third-Party Web App Access Control via Token-Grant Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of web-based storage systems face challenges in controlling access to their personal or sensitive resources, as existing security models lack comprehensive mechanisms to manage access permissions for third-party applications effectively.
Innovation Solution
A security model that utilizes user-based and resource-based access control lists, token-grant servers, application audit lists, and installation records to authenticate and authorize third-party applications, ensuring that only authorized applications can access user resources based on user actions and permissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a comprehensive security model with multiple checking utilities is implemented, then security and privacy protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The security model is divided into multiple independent checking utilities, each responsible for a specific aspect of access control: user-based ACL checking, resource-based ACL checking, application audit list checking, and installation record checking. This segmentation allows each utility to be developed, maintained, and executed independently, managing complexity through modular design while providing comprehensive security coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Access tokens serve as intermediaries between third-party applications and user resources. The token-grant server issues these tokens after verification, and the tokens carry authorization information that enables applications to access resources without requiring direct credential verification for each operation. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the authentication process while maintaining security.
2Measurement precision
If multiple access control lists and checking utilities are implemented, then access control precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by checking multiple access control lists and verification criteria before granting access. The user-based ACL, resource-based ACL, application audit list, and installation records are all verified in advance of the actual resource access operation. This preliminary verification ensures high access control precision while allowing the actual resource operations to proceed efficiently once authorization is confirmed.
Solution Approach 2:
Access tokens copy and carry authorization information from the token-grant server to the resource access operations. Instead of re-verifying user credentials and application permissions for each resource access, the system uses these token copies that contain the necessary authorization data, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining access control precision.
3Reliability
If comprehensive authentication and authorization mechanisms are implemented, then data protection is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service mechanisms where third-party applications automatically obtain access tokens through the token-grant server without requiring manual user authentication for each operation. The application audit list and installation records automatically track and verify application usage. This self-service approach maintains comprehensive data protection while eliminating the need for users to manually approve or manage each access request, significantly improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are shown for providing third-party applications access to user resources based on user actions and processes that provide the third-party applications with the correct security tokens. The scope of access granted in various implementations of the disclosure is all documents which the user has already opened with the third-party application.