Microsoft patents secure data access using trusted hardware signatures
This patent describes a system where a protected area of a computer, called a secure enclave, requests sensitive data by sending a digital signature. The system verifies the request's origin using an attestation token to ensure the data is only released to trusted software.
In the filing’s own words
Secure authentication using attestation tokens and inviolable quotes to validate request origins is performed by systems and platforms. An application programming interface (API) service is hosted via secure enclave of a computing platform container. Requests to a resource system for highly confidential/sensitive information persisted in a data storage, or for computational services, are made through the enclave, which is a source from which requests are trusted. An API call is made from the secure enclave to the resource system to establish a secure communication session based on a signed certificate for the secure enclave that is signed using an encrypted memory of the secure enclave. The API call also includes an attestation token used to validate the secure enclave as the source requesting the information or service via the API call. Confidential/sensitive information is provided to the secure enclave if the API call source is validated by the resource system.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A trusted token provider system comprising: a processor; and a program memory storing program code structured to cause the processor to: provide, to a secure enclave, an attestation token based on a hash value of a public key and signed with a signing certificate; receive an update request from a data storage based on the signing certificate of the attestation token in an application programming interface (API) call being unrecognized by the data storage, the data storage persisting confidential data in an encrypted state; update the signing certificate, resulting in an updated signing certificate; and provide the updated signing certificate to the data storage.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- Secure authentication using attestation tokens and inviolable quotes to validate request origins
- Patent number
- US12744678B2
- Application number
- 18787602
- Filed
- Jul 29, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 22, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H04L 9/3263 Electricity & electronicsG06F 9/451 Physics & computingH04L 9/3213 Electricity & electronicsH04L 9/3247 Electricity & electronicsH04L 63/0442 Electricity & electronicsH04L 63/166 Electricity & electronicsMore from Microsoft in Security & privacy
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.