Running internet applications with low rights

US8161563B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Roberto A. Franco · Seattle, US
• Anantha P. Ganjam · Sammamish, US
• John G. Bedworth · Redmond, US
• Peter T. Brundrett · Seattle, US
• Roland Tokumi · Issaquah, US
• Jeremiah S. Epling · Woodinville, US
• Daniel Sie · Bellevue, US
• Jianrong Gu · Bellevue, US
• Marc A. Silbey · Seattle, US
• Vidya Nallathimmayyagari · Redmond, US
• Bogdan Tepordei · Sammamish, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 20, 2010
• Grant date: Apr 17, 2012
• Expiry date: Aug 14, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F21/53
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

In various embodiments, applications that are configured to interact with the Internet in some way are executed in a restricted process with a reduced privilege level that can prohibit the application from accessing portions of an associated computing device. For example, in some embodiments, the restricted process can prohibit applications from read and write access to portions of a system's computer-readable media, such as the hard disk, that contains administrative data and settings information and user data and settings. In these embodiments, a special portion of the disk, termed a “containment zone”, is designated and used by applications in this restricted process.