Input parameter filtering for web application security
OwnerJeffrey Ichnowskiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the security of a web application by using input filtering. An input filter may be configured to process untrusted input data, character by character, and to replace certain characters in text-based input with visually similar characters. This approach may be used to block a specified list of “triggering” characters as they come in and replace them with characters similar in appearance but without the syntactic meaning that triggers an attack or otherwise exploits a vulnerability in a web-application.
Claims24
A computer-implemented method for filtering one or more input parameters provided to an application server, the method comprising:
- receiving a first string of characters from one of the input parameters;
- comparing each character in the first string of characters with a set of triggering characters, wherein each character in the set of triggering characters has an associated non-triggering replacement character;
- generating a modified first string of characters by replacing each character in the first string of characters which matches one of the triggering characters with the associated non-triggering replacement character;
- and
- passing the modified first string of characters to the application server.
A computer-readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs an operation for filtering one or more input parameters provided to an application server, the operation comprising:
- receiving a first string of characters from one of the input parameters;
- comparing each character in the first string of characters with a set of triggering characters, wherein each character in the set of triggering characters has an associated non-triggering replacement character;
- generating a modified first string of characters by replacing each character in the first string of characters which matches one of the triggering characters with the associated non-triggering replacement character;
- and
- passing the modified first string of characters to the application server.
A system, comprising:
- one or more computer processors;
- and
- a memory containing a program, which when executed by the one or more computer processors is configured to perform an operation for filtering one or more input parameters provided to an application server, the operation comprising:
- receiving a first string of characters from one of the input parameters,
- comparing each character in the first string of characters with a set of triggering characters, wherein each character in the set of triggering characters has an associated non-triggering replacement character,
- generating a modified first string of characters by replacing each character in the first string of characters which matches one of the triggering characters with the associated non-triggering replacement character, and
- passing the modified first string of characters to the application server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.