Executing commands on air-gapped computer systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12443729-B2
Application number	US-202217667899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2022
Priority date	Feb 9, 2022
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An air-gapped computer receives, from a simplex communication input device, an encoded message communicated by a simplex communication output device. The air-gapped computer system can use a private key to decrypt an encrypted message which was encrypted by a corresponding public key. The air-gapped computer system decodes the encoded message. The air-gapped computer system verifies that the decoded message indicates that a required number of approvers have approved of a user executing a command. The air-gapped computer system extracts the approved command from the decoded message. The air-gapped computer system enables execution of the command by executing the command, or by providing the user with an access token which enables the user to physically access the air-gapped computer system and execute the command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for access control for executing commands on air-gapped computer systems, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
receive, by an air-gapped computer system using a simplex communication input device, while keeping an air gap open, which physically isolates the air-gapped computer system from external networks, an encoded message communicated by a simplex communication output device;
decode, by the air-gapped computer system, the encoded message;
verify, by the air-gapped computer system, that the decoded message, which was exclusively decoded by the air-gapped computer, indicates that a required number of approvers approved of a user executing a command;
extract, by the air-gapped computer system, the approved command from the decoded message that was exclusively decoded by the air-gapped computer; and
enable, by the air-gapped computer system, execution of the command by one of executing the command, or temporarily closing the air gap of the air-gapped computer system only long enough to provide the user, via an external network, with an access token, which enables the user to physically access the air-gapped computer system and execute the command.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded message contains an identifier of the user, a list of commands that the user is approved to execute, and a time for executing the command.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the encoded command is formatted as a visual code, the simplex communication output device comprises a display monitor, and the simplex communication input device comprises a camera.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a public key enables the air-gapped computer system to verify that an approver used a corresponding private key to sign a digital certificate to approve of the user executing the command.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the processor to enable, by a private key, the air-gapped computer system to decrypt an encrypted command which was encrypted by a corresponding public key.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein executing the extracted command comprises the air-gapped computer system comparing decoded information against information that the user entered to authenticate the user and enable the user to execute the command during a specified time.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein executing the extracted command comprises the air-gapped computer system providing an access token which enables the user to physically access the air-gapped computer system and execute the command.

8. A computer-implemented method for access control for executing commands on air-gapped computer systems, the computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by an air-gapped computer system using a simplex communication input device, while keeping an air gap open, which physically isolates the air-gapped computer system from external networks, an encoded message communicated by a simplex communication output device;
decoding, by the air-gapped computer system, the encoded message;
verifying, by the air-gapped computer system, that the decoded message, which was exclusively decoded by the air-gapped computer, indicates that a required number of approvers have approved of a user executing a command;
extracting, by the air-gapped computer system, the approved command from the decoded message that was exclusively decoded by the air-gapped computer; and
enabling, by the air-gapped computer system, execution of the command by one of executing the command, or temporarily closing the air gap of the air-gapped computer system only long enough to provide the user, via an external network, with an access token which enables the user to physically access the air-gapped computer system and execute the command.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the encoded message contains an identifier of the user, a list of commands that the user is approved to execute, and a time for executing the command.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the encoded message is formatted as a visual code, the simplex communication output device comprises a display monitor, and the simplex communication input device comprises a camera.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein a public key enables the air-gapped computer system to verify that an approver used a corresponding private key to sign a digital certificate to approve of the user executing the command.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises enabling, by a private key, the air-gapped computer system to decrypt an encrypted command which was encrypted by a corresponding public key.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein executing the extracted command comprises the air-gapped computer system comparing decoded information against information that the user entered to authenticate the user and enable the user to execute the command during a specified time.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein executing the extracted command comprises the air-gapped computer system providing an access token which enables the user to physically access the air-gapped computer system and execute the command.

15. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein to be executed by one or more processors, the program code including instructions to:
receive, by an air-gapped computer system using a simplex communication input device, while keeping an air gap open, which physically isolates the air-gapped computer system from external networks, an encoded message communicated by a simplex communication output device;
decode, by the air-gapped computer system, the encoded message;
verify, by the air-gapped computer system, that the decoded message, which was exclusively decoded by the air-gapped computer, indicates that a required number of approvers approved of a user executing a command;
extract, by the air-gapped computer system, the approved command from the decoded message that was exclusively decoded by the air-gapped computer; and
enable, by the air-gapped computer system, execution of the command by one of executing the command, or temporarily closing the air gap of the air-gapped computer system only long enough to provide the user, via an external network, with an access token which enables the user to physically access the air-gapped computer system and execute the command.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the encoded message contains an identifier of the user, a list of commands that the user is approved to execute, and a time for executing the command.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the encoded message is formatted as a visual code, the simplex communication output device comprises a display monitor, and the simplex communication input device comprises a camera.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein a public key enables the air-gapped computer system to verify that an approver used a corresponding private key to sign a digital certificate to approve of the user executing the command.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program code includes further instructions to enable, by a private key, the air-gapped computer system to decrypt an encry

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Savir Amihai
• Sapir Stav
• Radami Naor
• Shemer Jehuda

Classifications

• H04L9/3263

  involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823) · CPC title

• G06F21/83

  input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof · CPC title

• G06F2221/2141

  Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices · CPC title

• H04L9/0825

  using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates · CPC title

• G09C5/00

  Ciphering apparatus or methods not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. involving the concealment or deformation of graphic data such as designs, written or printed messages · CPC title