Apparatus and method for tracking access permissions over multiple execution environments

A method comprising:

• receiving a permission request from a calling process, wherein the permission request comprises a request for an access permission to allow a first current process to access a first next process and an indication that the first current process was accessed from a first prior process;
• and
• searching a set of permission chains for a matching permission chain, wherein the matching permission chain comprises prior processes that were accessed or traversed before entering the first current process, a second prior process that is the same as the first prior process, a second current process that is the same as the first current process, and a second next process that is the same as the first next process, wherein each permission chain in the set of permission chains comprises an indication that a prior process accessed a current process and the current process requested access to a next process, wherein the set of permission chains includes all previously granted permission chains that comprise at least two permission chains previously granted until all of the previously granted permission chains are automatically deleted from the set of permission chains in response to a validity time span of a permission chain is overdue;
• wherein when the matching permission chain is not found, the method comprises receiving an input granting or denying the requested permission;
• and
• wherein when the received input grants the requested permission, the method comprises:
• updating the set of permission chains to include a new permission chain comprising an indication that the first prior process accessed the first current process and the first current process requested access to the first next process;
• and
• granting the requested permission to the calling process.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

• receive a permission request from a calling process, wherein the permission request comprises a request for an access permission to allow a first current process to access a first next process and an indication that the first current process was accessed from a first prior process;
• and
• search a set of permission chains for a matching permission chain, wherein the matching permission chain comprises prior processes that were accessed or traversed before entering the first current process, a second prior process that is the same as the first prior process, a second current process that is the same as the first current process, and a second next process that is the same as the first next process, wherein each permission chain in the set of permission chains comprises an indication that a prior process accessed a current process and the current process requested access to a next process, wherein the set of permission chains includes all previously granted permission chains that comprise at least two permission chains previously granted until all of the previously granted permission chains are automatically deleted from the set of permission chains in response to a validity time span of a permission chain is overdue;
• wherein when the matching permission chain is not found, the program instructions cause the processor to receive an input granting or denying the request permission;
• and
• wherein when the received input grants the requested permission, the program instructions cause the processor to:
• update the set of permission chains to include a new permission chain comprising an indication that the first prior process accessed the first current process and the first current process requested access to the first next process;
• and
• grant the requested permission to the calling process.