Computer system employing dual-band authentication
View Patent ↗A first machine (e.g., server VM) authenticates an untrusted second machine (e.g., new client VM) as a condition to performing or allowing a protected operation. Authentication information is written to a library using one mechanism, and then read from the library using another mechanism. One of the mechanisms is an untrusted mechanism employing the untrusted second machine, while the other is a trusted mechanism performed by the first machine either alone or in combination with a trusted management component that has privileged access to the library. If a written and read value match, it can be inferred that the second machine is authentic, because the trusted management component has accessed an existing library that is also separately accessed by the second machine.
1. A method by which a first machine authenticates an untrusted second machine as a condition to performing or allowing a protected operation for the second machine, comprising:
by the first machine, performing a write operation relating to a library of one of the first machine and the second machine and including an authentication identifier to be stored by the library;
subsequently by the first machine, performing a read operation relating to the library and returning a read value, wherein the read operation using either an untrusted mechanism employing the second machine or a trusted mechanism employing the first machine alone or in combination with a trusted management component having privileged system-level access to the library, wherein the write operation using the trusted mechanism if and only if the read operation uses the untrusted mechanism, or the write operation using the untrusted mechanism if and only if the read operation uses the trusted mechanism; and
by the first machine, performing or allowing the protected operation for the second machine only upon the read value returned by the read operation matching the authentication identifier, wherein the first and second machines are virtual machines executing on one or more physical host machines, and wherein the management component is included in a set of virtual machine management components having a pre-established trust relationship with one of the virtual machines.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second machine has access to the library;
the trusted mechanism includes a first communication path by which the first machine requests that the management component exercise privileged system-level access to the library; and
the untrusted mechanism includes a second communication path by which the first machine requests that the second machine exercise access to the library.
3. A method according to 2 , wherein:
the trusted mechanism is the write mechanism; and
the untrusted mechanism is the read mechanism.
4. A method according to 2 , wherein:
the trusted mechanism is the read mechanism; and
the untrusted mechanism is the write mechanism.
5. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the first machine is a service providing machine having an account by which the first machine is known to the management component.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first machine has access to the library;
the trusted mechanism includes a local library operation on the library by the first machine; and
the untrusted mechanism includes first and second communication paths, the first communication path used by the first machine to send a library operation request to the second machine, the second communication path used by the second machine to send a request to the management component to exercise the privileged system-level access to the library.
7. A method according to 6 , wherein:
the trusted mechanism is the write mechanism; and
the untrusted mechanism is the read mechanism.
8. A method according to 6 , wherein:
the trusted mechanism is the read mechanism; and
the untrusted mechanism is the write mechanism.
9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second machines is a client machine, and the other of the first and second machines is a server machine.
10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second machines are virtual machines executing on one or more physical host machines, and wherein the management component is included in a set of virtual machine management components having a pre-established trust relationship with one of the virtual machines.
11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the first machine is server virtual machine, and the second machine is a client virtual machine.
12. A method according to claim 10 , wherein an unsuccessful response in the second operation includes an indication that a virtual machine identified in the second operation does not exist.
13. A computer, comprising:
instruction processing circuitry;
memory;
input/output circuitry; and
one or more data buses interconnecting the instruction processing circuitry, memory and input/output circuitry together for data transfer therebetween;
wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the instruction processing circuitry to cause the computer to function as a first machine performing a method of authenticating an untrusted second machine as a condition to performing or allowing a protected operation for the second machine, the method including:
performing a write operation relating to a library of one of the first machine and the second machine and including an authentication identifier to be stored by the library;
performing a read operation relating to the library and returning a read value, wherein the read operation using either an untrusted mechanism employing the second machine or a trusted mechanism employing the first machine alone or in combination with a trusted management component having privileged system-level access to the library, wherein the write operation using the trusted mechanism if and only if the read operation uses the untrusted mechanism, or the write operation using the untrusted mechanism if and only if the read operation uses the trusted mechanism; and
performing or allowing the protected operation for the second machine only upon the read value returned by the read operation matching the authentication identifier, wherein the computer being one of one or more physical host machines hosting the first and second machines as virtual machines, and wherein the management component is included in a set of virtual machine management components having a pre-established trust relationship with one of the virtual machines.
14. A computer according to claim 13 , wherein:
the second machine has access to the library;
the trusted mechanism includes a first communication path by which the first machine requests that the management component exercise privileged system-level access to the library; and
the untrusted mechanism includes a second communication path by which the first machine requests that the second machine exercise access to the library.
15. A computer according to claim 14 , wherein the first machine is a service providing machine having an account by which the first machine is known to the management component.
16. A computer according to claim 13 , wherein:
the first machine has access to the library;
the trusted mechanism includes a local library operation on the library by the first machine; and
the untrusted mechanism includes first and second communication paths, the first communication path used by the first machine to send a library operation request to the second machine, the second communication path used by the second machine to send a request to the management component to exercise the privileged system-level access to the library.
17. A computer according to claim 13 , being one of one or more physical host machines hosting the first and second machines as virtual machines, wherein the management component is included in a set of virtual machine management components having a pre-established trust relationship with one of the virtual machines.
18. A computer according to claim 17 , wherein the first machine is server virtual machine, and the second machine is a client virtual machine.