Automatic object caller chain with declarative impersonation and transitive trust

In a runtime security service, a computer-implemented method for building a called object's caller chain from a list of caller identities for a calling object, the method comprising:

• receiving a caller chain transfer style;
• receiving the list of caller identities for the calling object;
• if the caller chain transfer style indicates copy, providing the list of caller identities for the calling object as the called object's caller chain;
• and
• if the caller chain transfer style does not indicate copy, performing the following steps:
• acquiring an identity associated with the calling object;
• and
• providing the list of caller identities for the calling object with the identity associated with the calling object added thereto as the called object's caller chain.

A computer-implemented method of providing security services during a series of calls to a plurality of objects, the method comprising performing the following steps for the calls:

• receiving an incoming call directed to a method of a secured object, wherein the call is associated with a value indicative of a transfer style and an incoming list of caller identities;
• if the value indicative of a transfer style indicates a copy transfer style, storing the incoming list of caller identities in a caller list for the secured object;
• if the value indicative of a transfer style does not indicate a copy transfer style, consulting a system service to determine an identity associated with the incoming call and storing the incoming list of caller identities and the identity associated with the incoming call in the caller list for the secured object;
• consulting the caller list for the secured object to determine if a most recently added caller in the caller list is permitted to access the method;
• blocking the call directed to the method if the caller is not permitted;
• and
• if the call is permitted, forwarding the call to the secured object.

A computer-implemented method of securely transferring a list of caller identities for an object, wherein the list of caller identities comprises a direct caller identity most recently added to the caller identities, and the list of caller identities is sent into a method invocation queue by a sending object associated with a sender identity, the method comprising:

• upon retrieving the list of caller identities from the queue, determining if the direct caller identity matches the sender identity;
• and
• if the direct caller identity does not match the sender identity, consulting a list of trusted identities;
• and
• blocking transfer of the list of caller identities if the sender identity is not in the list of trusted identities.

A method for providing an impersonation service in a security framework accommodating objects, wherein calls to the objects are associated with an identity, the method comprising:

• at development time, specifying an object impersonates its callers by designating an impersonation setting;
• storing the impersonation setting outside the object in a security setting store;
• at runtime, intercepting a call directed to the object to determine if the impersonation setting indicates the object impersonates callers;
• and
• responsive to a request for an identity for calls from the object, providing an identity associated with the call directed to the object as a result of consulting the impersonation setting if the impersonation setting indicates the object impersonates callers.

A security framework for providing runtime security services to a plurality of programming objects, the framework comprising:

• a store of security settings indicating whether one of the programming objects automatically impersonates callers;
• a graphical user interface graphically depicting the programming object;
• and
• a graphical user interface control for designating the programming object as automatically impersonating callers thereto and operative to modify the store indicate the programming object automatically impersonates callers.

A security framework for providing runtime security services to a plurality of secured objects, the framework comprising:

• a list of caller identities associated with calls to a secured object;
• a security context object for receiving and recording a caller chain transfer style;
• a caller chain builder operative to provide a copy of the list of caller identities associated with a call from a first secured object responsive to a request for the list of caller identities associated with a call to a second secured object if the security context object indicates a caller chain transfer style of copy;
• a wrapper positioned to intercept a call directed to the second secured object, invoke the caller chain builder upon intercepting the call, and selectively forward the call to the second object;
• and
• an activator operative to execute responsive to a request for access to the second secured object and interpose the wrapper between the first secured object and the second secured object.