Protected QR code scanner using operational system override

A system that applies root-level enforcement of quick response (“QR”) code validation, the system comprising:

• a QR code reader for:
• receiving an instruction from a user to scan an image;
• and
• transmitting a request to an operating system (“OS”) running on the system to instruct a camera to capture the image;
• the OS for:
• routing the request to the camera;
• receiving the image from the camera;
• running an image identification routine on the image to determine if the image includes a QR code;
• in response to the image identification routine failing to identify a QR code, transmitting the image to the QR code reader;
• in response to the image identification routine identifying a QR code, storing the image in a temporary cache;
• and
• transmitting the image to a QR code validator;
• the QR code validator for:
• in response to receipt of the image, decoding the identified QR code to identify a URL;
• executing a validation routine to validate the URL;
• in response to the validation routine validating the URL, transmitting a validation message including the URL to the OS;
• and
• in response to the validation routine failing to validate the URL, transmitting an error message to the OS;
• the OS for transmitting the image to the QR code reader only in response to receipt of the validation message;
• and
• the QR code reader for, in response to receipt of the image from the OS, instructing a browser to access the URL;
• wherein:
• the transmitting of the image, by the OS, from the camera to the QR code validator and not the QR code reader ensures that the QR code reader will only instruct the browser to access URLs validated by the validation routine.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, perform a method for root-level enforcement of quick response (“QR”) code validation, the method comprising:

• at a first interface comprising a QR code reader:
• receiving an instruction from a user to scan a QR code;
• and
• transmitting a request to an operating system (“OS”) running on the computer system to instruct a camera to capture an image including the QR code;
• at the OS:
• routing the request to the camera;
• receiving the image from the camera;
• storing the image in a temporary cache;
• and
• transmitting the image to a QR code validator;
• at a second interface comprising the QR code validator:
• in response to receipt of the image, decoding the QR code to identify a URL;
• executing a validation routine to validate the URL;
• in response to the validation routine validating the URL, transmitting a first message to the OS;
• and
• in response to the validation routine failing to validate the URL, transmitting a second message to the OS;
• at the OS:
• in response to receipt of the first message, retrieving the image from the temporary cache and transmitting the image to the QR code reader;
• and
• in response to receipt of the second message, purging the image from the temporary cache and returning to the QR code reader a third message not including the image;
• and
• at the first interface comprising the QR code reader:
• in response to receipt of the image from the OS, decoding the QR code and instructing a browser to access the URL;
• and
• in response to receipt of the third message, displaying an error message to the user;
• wherein:
• the transmitting of the image, by the OS, from the camera to the QR code validator and not the QR code reader ensures that the QR code reader will only instruct the browser to access URLs validated by the validation routine.