IP Library Granted Patent US 9,178,706
Granted Patent B1
US 9,178,706 · App. 13/779,530 · Granted Nov 3, 2015

Proxy SSL authentication in split SSL for client-side proxy agent resources with content insertion

Inventors: Benn Sapin Bollay (Seattle, WA); Jonathan Mini Hawthorne (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc.
H04L9/3244H04L63/0428
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,178,706
App. No.
13/779,530
Granted
Nov 3, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

A traffic management device (TMD), system, and processor-readable storage medium are directed to determining that an end-to-end encrypted session has been established between a client and an authentication server, intercepting and decrypting subsequent task traffic from the client, and forwarding the intercepted traffic toward a server. In some embodiments, a second connection between the TMD and server may be employed to forward the intercepted traffic, and the second connection may be unencrypted or encrypted with a different mechanism than the encrypted connection to the authentication server. The encrypted connection to the authentication server may be maintained following authentication to enable termination of the second connection if the client becomes untrusted, and/or to enable logging of client requests, connection information, and the like. In some embodiments, the TMD may act as a proxy to provide client access to a number of servers and/or resources.

Claims (41)

1. A traffic management device for managing network traffic between a client device and a plurality of server devices, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over a network; and

a processor, in communication with the transceiver, that performs actions, including:

intercepting a message sent from a client device toward an authentication server device over an encrypted first connection; and

employing a key associated with the first connection to analyze the intercepted message, wherein the analysis is employed to selectively forward the intercepted message toward a determined server device over a second connection that is separate from communication with the authentication server device.

2. The traffic management device of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted first connection is established using a two-way authentication between the client device and the authentication server device.

3. The traffic management device of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted first connection is actively maintained between the client device and the authentication server device while the intercepted message is forwarded over the second connection.

4. The traffic management device of claim 1 , wherein the actions further include forwarding the intercepted message to the authentication server device, wherein the authentication server device is enabled to log at least some information included in the intercepted message.

5. The traffic management device of claim 1 , wherein the actions further include:

receiving from the determined server device a response message to the forwarded intercepted message;

encrypting the response message based on the key; and

forwarding the encrypted response message to the client device, using the first connection.

6. A system for managing network traffic, comprising:

a plurality of server devices;

an authentication server device; and

a traffic management device in communication with the plurality of server devices, the authentication server device, and a client device, and configured to perform actions including:

intercepting a message sent from a client device toward an authentication server device over an encrypted first connection; and

employing a key associated with the first connection to analyze the intercepted message, wherein the analysis is employed to selectively forward the intercepted message toward a determined server device over a second connection that is separate from communication with the authentication server device.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the encrypted first connection is established using a two-way authentication between the client device and the authentication server device.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the encrypted first connection is actively maintained between the client device and the authentication server device while the intercepted message is forwarded over the second connection.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the actions further include forwarding the intercepted message to the authentication server device, wherein the authentication server device is enabled to log at least some information included in the intercepted message.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the actions further include:

receiving from the determined server device a response message to the forwarded intercepted message;

encrypting the response message based on the key; and

forwarding the encrypted response message to the client device, using the first connection.

11. A method for managing network traffic between a client device and a plurality of server devices over a network, wherein a traffic management device is operative to perform actions, comprising:

intercepting a message sent from the client device toward an authentication server device over an encrypted first connection; and

employing a key associated with the first connection to analyze the intercepted message, wherein the analysis is employed to selectively forward the intercepted message toward a determined server device over a second connection that is separate from communication with the authentication server device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the encrypted first connection is established using a two-way authentication between the client device and the authentication server device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the encrypted first connection is actively maintained between the client device and the authentication server device while the intercepted message is forwarded over the second connection.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the actions further include forwarding the intercepted message to the authentication server device, wherein the authentication server device is enabled to log at least some information included in the intercepted message.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving from the determined server device a response message to the forwarded intercepted message;

encrypting the response message based on the key; and

forwarding the encrypted response message to the client device, using the first connection.

16. A processor readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that enable a processor to perform actions for managing network traffic between a client device and a plurality of server devices, comprising:

intercepting a message sent from the client device toward an authentication server device over an encrypted first connection; and

employing a key associated with the first connection to analyze the intercepted message, wherein the analysis is employed to selectively forward the intercepted message toward a determined server device over a second connection that is separate from communication with the authentication server device.

17. The medium of claim 16 , wherein the encrypted first connection is established using a two-way authentication between the client device and the authentication server device.

18. The medium of claim 16 , wherein the encrypted first connection is actively maintained between the client device and the authentication server device while the intercepted message is forwarded over the second connection.

19. The medium of claim 16 , wherein the actions further include forwarding the intercepted message to the authentication server device, wherein the authentication server device is enabled to log at least some information included in the intercepted message.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2013
From: BOLLAY, BENN SAPIN; HAWTHORNE, JONATHAN MINI
To: F5 NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 031342/0333 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12846778 · Jul 29, 2010
Provisional Application 61315857 · Mar 19, 2010