Local encryption for single sign-on

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11368445-B2
Application number	US-201816106848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	May 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure describes techniques that allow for a client-side application, located on a first client device, to generate a random encryption key and encrypt locally-stored application data with the random encryption key. The random encryption key is used in lieu of a password-derived encryption key. In order to ensure that the client-device application is unable to decrypt the locally-stored encrypted application data prior to authenticating with an external authentication source (i.e., SSO, IdP), the random encryption key is encrypted with a key-encrypting key derived using a pseudorandom function (PRF). By using a PRF, the first device is able to authenticate to the first server and derive a secure key as part of the authentication process. Accordingly, the present disclosure describes techniques for securing data on a client device when credentials are managed by an external authentication system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for securing a first encryption key for a first device in a system using external authentication, the method comprising:
generating, by the first device, a blinded representation of a first secret using a first hash of the first secret;
transmitting, from the first device, the blinded representation of the first secret to a first server;
receiving, at the first device, a first proof from the first server in response to the transmitted blinded representation of the first secret;
verifying, by the first device, the first proof received from the first server;
unblinding, by the first device, the blinded representation of the first secret;
generating, by the first device, a first key-encrypting key by applying a second hash to the first proof and the first hash of the first secret; and
encrypting, by the first device, the first encryption key using the first key-encrypting key, wherein the first encryption key encrypts data on the first device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deleting, by the first device, the first key-encrypting key after the first encryption key is encrypted.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the blinded representation of the first secret comprises:
generating, by the first device, the first secret;
generating, by the first device, a first blind;
generating, by the first device, a first hashed representation of the first secret by applying a first hashing algorithm to the first secret; and
generating, by the first device, the blinded representation of the first secret by combining the first blind and the first hashed representation of the first secret.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the first device, a first public key associated with the first server.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein verifying the first proof comprises:
verifying, by the first device, a first signature included in the first proof using the first public key associated with the first server.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the first key-encrypting key comprises hashing the first secret with a second hashing algorithm.

7. A method for decrypting application data in an external authentication environment, the method comprising:
receiving, on a first device, login credentials;
transmitting, from the first device, the login credentials to a first server;
generating, by the first device, a blinded representation of a first secret by hashing the first secret;
transmitting, from the first device, the blinded representation of the first secret to the first server;
receiving, at the first device, a first token and a first proof from the first server;
verifying, by the first device, the first proof received from the first server;
unblinding, by the first device, the blinded representation of the first secret;
generating, by the first device, a first key-encrypting key by hashing the blinded representation of the first secret and the first proof from the first server;
decrypting, by the first device, a first encryption key using the first key-encrypting key;
decrypting, by the first device, application data using the first encryption key; and
accessing, by the first device, one or more applications on a second server using the first token and the decrypted application data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein accessing the one or more applications on the second server comprises:
transmitting, from the first device, the first token to the second server.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
encrypting, by the first device, the first encryption key when the first device ceases accessing the second server; and
deleting, by the first device, the first key-encrypting key after the first encryption key is encrypted.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the first key-encrypting key comprises hashing the first secret with a second hashing algorithm.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform the steps of:
receiving, at a first server, a blinded representation of a first secret from a first device, wherein the blinded representation comprises a hash of the first secret;
generating, by the first server, a first proof using the blinded representation of the first secret; and
transmitting, from the first server, the first proof to the first device, wherein the first proof is hashed with the blinded representation of the first secret to generate a key-encrypting key used to encrypt a local encryption key of the first device as part of authenticating to the first server.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the first proof is a non-interactive zero knowledge proof.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for:
receiving, at the first server, login credentials from the first device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising instructions for:
transmitting, from the first server, the login credentials received from the first device to a second server;
receiving, at the first server, a first indication that the login credentials are valid from the second server; and
transmitting, from the first server, a first token to the first device in response to receiving the first indication that the login credentials are valid.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions for:
receiving, at the first server, a request to validate the first token from a third server;
determining, by the first server, whether the first token received from the third server is valid; and
providing, by the first server, a second indication to the third server that the first token is valid in response to the determination that the first token is valid.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for:
generating, by the first server, a first signature of the first proof.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first signature is generated using a first private key.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions for:
transmitting, from the first server, the first signature to the first device with the first proof.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first server comprises a single sign-on service.

20. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more applications comprises a secure collaboration application.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Alwen Joël
• Leavy Thomas Michael
• Howell Christopher

Classifications

• H04L63/0815 Primary

  providing single-sign-on or federations · CPC title

• H04L9/3218

  using proof of knowledge, e.g. Fiat-Shamir, GQ, Schnorr, ornon-interactive zero-knowledge proofs · CPC title

• H04W12/069

  using certificates or pre-shared keys · CPC title

• H04L2209/04

  Masking or blinding · CPC title

• H04L63/0435

  wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06) · CPC title