IP Library Granted Patent US 11,044,083
Granted Patent B2
US 11,044,083 · App. 16/043,972 · Granted Jun 22, 2021

Secure session capability using public-key cryptography without access to the private key

Inventors: Sébastien Andreas Henry Pahl (San Francisco, CA); Matthieu Philippe François Tourne (San Francisco, CA); Piotr Sikora (San Francisco, CA); Ray Raymond Bejjani (San Francisco, CA); Dane Orion Knecht (San Francisco, CA); Matthew Browning Prince (San Francisco, CA); John Graham-Cumming (London, GB); Lee Hahn Holloway (Santa Cruz, CA); Nicholas Thomas Sullivan (San Francisco, CA); Albertus Strasheim (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: CLOUDFLARE, INC.
H04L9/0844H04L9/14H04L9/30H04L9/321H04L9/3263H04L9/3268H04L63/061H04L63/166
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,044,083
App. No.
16/043,972
Granted
Jun 22, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first server establishes a secure session with a client device where a private key used in the handshake when establishing the secure session is stored in a different, second, server. The first server transmits messages between the client device and the second server where the second server has access to a private key that is not available on the first server. The first server receives from the second server a set of session key(s) used in the secure session for encrypting/decrypting communication between the client device and the first server. The session key(s) are generated using a master secret that is generated using a premaster secret generated using Diffie-Hellman public values selected by the client device and the second server. The first server uses the session key(s) to encrypt/decrypt communication with the client device.

Claims (61)

1. A method in a first server for establishing and using a secure session with a client device, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the first server, a plurality of messages between the client device and a second server, the plurality of messages generated by the client device and the second server for establishing the secure session between the client device and the first server, wherein the second server has access to a private key used in establishing the secure session including signing a set of cryptographic parameters, included in the plurality of messages, that are to be used by the client device when generating a premaster secret and include a first Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the second server, and wherein the private key is not available on the first server;

receiving, from the second server, a set of one or more session keys to be used in the secure session for encrypting and decrypting communication between the client device and the first server that were generated at least using a master secret that is generated using a premaster secret that is generated using a second Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the client device and the first Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the second server;

receiving, from the client device over the secure session, an encrypted request for a resource,

decrypting, using the set of session keys, the encrypted request for the resource;

retrieving the requested resource locally on the first server;

generating a response that includes the retrieved resource;

encrypting the generated response using the set of session keys; and

transmitting, to the client device over the secure session, the encrypted response.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first server and the second server are owned or operated by different entities.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of session keys are received from the second server over a secure session between the first server and the second server.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein retrieving the requested resource includes transmitting the request for the resource to a third server and receiving the resource from the third server in response to the request, and wherein the second server and the third server are the same server.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

wherein the plurality of messages transmitted between the client device and the second server includes a Client Hello message received from the client device, a Server Hello message received from the second server, a Certificate message received from the second server, a Server Key Exchange message received from the second server, a Server Hello Done message received from the second server, a Client Key Exchange message received from the client device, a first and second Change Cipher Spec message, and a first and second Finished message;

receiving, from the second server, the master secret;

verifying information in the first Finished message including,

calculating a first value using a function that takes as input at least the master secret and a hash of the Client Hello message, Server Hello message, Certificate message, Server Key Exchange message, Server Hello Done message, Client Key Exchange message, and first Change Cipher Spec message, and

comparing the calculated first value with a second value included in the first Finished message, wherein a same first value and second value indicates a successful key exchange;

calculating a third value using a function that takes as input at least the master secret and a hash of the Client Hello message, Server Hello message, Certificate message, Server Key Exchange message, Server Hello Done message, Client Key Exchange message, first Change Cipher Spec message, first Finished message, and second Change Cipher Spec message; and

including the third value in the second Finished message.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a set of one or more processors of a first server, cause the set of processors to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, by the first server, a plurality of messages between a client device and a second server, the plurality of messages generated by the client device and the second server for establishing a secure session between the client device and the first server, wherein the second server has access to a private key used in establishing a secure session between the client device and the first server including signing a set of cryptographic parameters, included in the plurality of messages, that are to be used by the client device when generating a premaster secret and include a first Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the second server, and wherein the private key is not available on the first server;

receiving, from the second server, a set of one or more session keys to be used in the secure session for encrypting and decrypting communication between the client device and the first server that were generated at least using a master secret that is generated using a premaster secret that is generated using a first second Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the client device and the first Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the second server;

receiving, from the client device over the secure session, an encrypted request for a resource,

decrypting, using the set of session keys, the encrypted request for the resource;

retrieving the requested resource locally on the first server;

generating a response that includes the retrieved resource;

encrypting the generated response using the set of session keys; and

transmitting, to the client device over the secure session, the encrypted response.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the first server and the second server are owned or operated by different entities.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the set of session keys are received from the second server over a secure session between the first server and the second server.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein retrieving the requested resource includes transmitting the request for the resource to a third server and receiving the resource from the third server in response to the request, and wherein the second server and the third server are the same server.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the set of processors, cause the set of processors to perform the following operations:

wherein the plurality of messages transmitted between the client device and the second server includes a Client Hello message received from the client device, a Server Hello message received from the second server, a Certificate message received from the second server, a Server Key Exchange message received from the second server, a Server Hello Done message received from the second server, a Client Key Exchange message received from the client device, a first and second Change Cipher Spec message, and a first and second Finished message;

receiving, from the second server, the master secret;

verifying information in the first Finished message including,

calculating a first value using a function that takes as input at least the master secret and a hash of the Client Hello message, Server Hello message, Certificate message, Server Key Exchange message, Server Hello Done message, Client Key Exchange message, and first Change Cipher Spec message, and

comparing the calculated first value with a second value included in the first Finished message, wherein a same first value and second value indicates a successful key exchange;

calculating a third value using a function that takes as input at least the master secret and a hash of the Client Hello message, Server Hello message, Certificate message, Server Key Exchange message, Server Hello Done message, Client Key Exchange message, first Change Cipher Spec message, first Finished message, and second Change Cipher Spec message; and

including the third value in the second Finished message.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first server including a set of one or more processors and a set of one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing instructions, that when executed by the set of processors, cause the set of processors to perform the following operations:

transmit a plurality of messages between a client device and a second server, the plurality of messages generated by the client device and the second server for establishing a secure session between the client device and the first server, wherein the second server has access to a private key used in establishing a secure session between the client device and the first server including signing a set of cryptographic parameters, included in the plurality of messages, that are to be used by the client device when generating a premaster secret and include a first Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the second server, and wherein the private key is not available on the first server;

receive, from the second server, a set of one or more session keys to be used in the secure session for encrypting and decrypting communication between the client device and the first server that were generated at least using a master secret that is generated using a premaster secret that is generated using a second Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the client device and the first Diffie-Hellman public value selected by the second server;

receive, from the client device over the secure session, an encrypted request for a resource,

decrypt, using the set of session keys, the encrypted request for the resource;

retrieve the requested resource locally on the first server;

generate a response that includes the retrieved resource;

encrypt the generated response using the set of session keys; and

transmit, to the client device over the secure session, the encrypted response.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first server and the second server are owned or operated by different entities.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the set of session keys are to be received from the second server over a secure session between the first server and the second server.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein retrieval of the requested resource includes transmission of the request for the resource to a third server and receipt of the resource from the third server in response to the request, wherein the second server and the third server are the same server.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the set of non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums further stores instructions, that when executed by the set of processors, cause the set of processors to perform the following operations:

wherein the plurality of messages to be transmitted between the client device and the second server includes a Client Hello message received from the client device, a Server Hello message received from the second server, a Certificate message received from the second server, a Server Key Exchange message received from the second server, a Server Hello Done message received from the second server, a Client Key Exchange message received from the client device, a first and second Change Cipher Spec message, and a first and second Finished message;

receive, from the second server, the master secret;

verify information in the first Finished message including,

calculate a first value using a function that takes as input at least the master secret and a hash of the Client Hello message, Server Hello message, Certificate message, Server Key Exchange message, Server Hello Done message, Client Key Exchange message, and first Change Cipher Spec message, and

compare the calculated first value with a second value included in the first Finished message, wherein a same first value and second value indicates a successful key exchange;

calculate a third value using a function that takes as input at least the master secret and a hash of the Client Hello message, Server Hello message, Certificate message, Server Key Exchange message, Server Hello Done message, Client Key Exchange message, first Change Cipher Spec message, first Finished message, and second Change Cipher Spec message; and

include the third value in the second Finished message.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2024
From: CLOUDFLARE, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067472/0246 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2018
From: PAHL, SÉBASTIEN ANDREAS HENRY; TOURNE, MATTHIEU PHILIPPE FRANÇOIS; SIKORA, PIOTR; BEJJANI, RAY RAYMOND; KNECHT, DANE ORION; PRINCE, MATTHEW BROWNING; GRAHAM-CUMMING, JOHN; HOLLOWAY, LEE HAHN; SULLIVAN, NICHOLAS THOMAS; STRASHEIM, ALBERTUS
To: CLOUDFLARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 046461/0615 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15202371 · Jul 5, 2016
Continuation 14630585 · Feb 24, 2015
Continuation 14248256 · Apr 8, 2014
Related Publication 20180323969A1 · Nov 8, 2018