Granted Patent B1

US 10,148,631 · App. 14/869,324 · Granted Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Claims (82)

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing session hijacking, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

determining that a user is attempting to complete at least a portion of an authentication session on a first computing system;

using input from at least one input device of the first computing system to obtain environmental context associated with the attempt by the user to complete the authentication session, the environmental context comprising at least one image of the user captured by a camera of the first computing system; and

preventing the authentication session from authenticating the user while using the image of the user to determine whether the authentication session is valid, wherein using the image of the user to determine whether the authentication session is valid comprises:

transmitting the image of the user to the user at a second computing system that comprises a mobile device of the user;

the mobile device performing a computer-implemented analysis of the environmental context before requesting an indication that the authentication session is valid;

the mobile device notifying the user that the environmental context is suspect by outputting a warning in response to determining that the image of the user shows a different person than a stored image of the user shows;

requesting, from the mobile device of the user, the indication from the user of whether, based on an evaluation by the user of the image of the user, the authentication session is valid; and

the mobile device notifying the first computing system that the user is allowed to be authenticated in the authentication session.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein requesting the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid comprises displaying an input request on the mobile device in possession of the user for the authentication session.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 :

wherein the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid indicates that the authentication session is valid; and

further comprising allowing the authentication session to authenticate the user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 :

wherein an additional indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid indicates that the authentication session is not valid; and

further comprising:

determining, based on the additional indication from the user that the authentication session is not valid, that a session hijacking attempt is likely in progress; and

based on the determination that the session hijacking attempt is likely in progress, performing a security action.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the security action comprises at least one of:

notifying an administrator of the session hijacking attempt;

notifying the user of the session hijacking attempt;

requesting, from the user, at least one additional authentication factor; and

denying authentication of the user for the authentication session.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising

including results of the analysis of the environmental context in the request for the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises at least one of:

a still image camera; and

a video camera.

8. A system for preventing session hijacking, the system comprising:

an authentication module, stored in memory, that determines that a user is attempting to complete at least a portion of an authentication session on a first computing system;

a context module, stored in memory, that uses input from at least one input device of the first computing system to obtain environmental context associated with the attempt by the user to complete the authentication session, the environmental context comprising at least one image of the user captured by a camera of the first computing system;

a verification module, stored in memory, that prevents the authentication session from authenticating the user while using the image of the user to determine whether the authentication session is valid;

a communication module, stored in memory, that transmits the image of the user to the user at a second computing system that comprises a mobile device of the user;

a validation module, stored in memory, that:

performs, as part of the mobile device, a computer-implemented analysis of the environmental context before requesting an indication that the authentication session is valid;

notifies, as part of the mobile device, the user that the environmental context is suspect by outputting a warning in response to determining that the image of the user shows a different person than a stored image of the user shows;

requests, from the mobile device of the user, the indication from the user of whether, based on an evaluation by the user of the image of the user, the authentication session is valid, and

notifies, as part of the mobile device, the first computing system that the user is allowed to be authenticated in the authentication session; and

at least one physical processor configured to execute the authentication module, the context module, the verification module, the communication module, and the validation module.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the validation module requests the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid by displaying an input request on the mobile device in possession of the user for the authentication session.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the validation module receives the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid, which indicates that the authentication session is valid; and

the verification module allows the authentication session to authenticate the user.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the validation module:

receives an additional indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid, which indicates that the authentication session is not valid;

determines, based on the additional indication from the user that the authentication session is not valid, that a session hijacking attempt is likely in progress; and

based on the determination that the session hijacking attempt is likely in progress, performs a security action.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the security action performed by the validation module comprises at least one of:

notifying an administrator of the session hijacking attempt;

notifying the user of the session hijacking attempt;

requesting, from the user, at least one additional authentication factor; and

denying authentication of the user for the authentication session.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the validation module

includes results of the analysis of the environmental context in the request for the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the input device comprises at least one of:

a still image camera; and

a video camera.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine that a user is attempting to complete at least a portion of an authentication session on a first computing system;

use input from at least one input device of the first computing system to obtain environmental context associated with the attempt by the user to complete the authentication session, the environmental context comprising at least one image of the user captured by a camera of the first computing system; and

prevent the authentication session from authenticating the user while using the image of the user to determine whether the authentication session is valid, wherein using the image of the user to determine whether the authentication session is valid comprises:

transmitting the image of the user to the user at a second computing system that comprises a mobile device of the user;

the mobile device performing a computer-implemented analysis of the environmental context before requesting an indication that the authentication session is valid;

the mobile device notifying the user that the environmental context is suspect by outputting a warning in response to determining that the image of the user shows a different person than a stored image of the user shows;

requesting, from the mobile device of the user, the indication by the user of whether, based on an evaluation by the user of the image of the user, the authentication session is valid; and

the mobile device notifying the first computing system that the user is allowed to be authenticated in the authentication session.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to request the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid by displaying an input request on the mobile device in possession of the user for the authentication session.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid indicates that the authentication session is valid; and

the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to allow the authentication session to authenticate the user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

an additional indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid indicates that the authentication session is not valid; and

the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to:

determine, based on the additional indication from the user that the authentication session is not valid, that a session hijacking attempt is likely in progress; and

perform a security action.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to perform the security action, which comprises at least one of:

notifying an administrator of the session hijacking attempt;

notifying the of the session hijacking attempt;

requesting, from the user, at least one additional authentication factor; and

denying authentication of the user for the authentication session.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to

include results of the analysis of the environmental context in the request for the indication from the user of whether the authentication session is valid.

Assignments (6)