Securing Java RMI-based distributed applications

Both Java RMI and Jini use a proxy-based architecture. In this architecture, a client interacts with a service through a proxy, which is code downloaded from a directory and installed on the client´s machine. An attacker who controls the communication channels or the directory may compromise the confidentiality and integrity of the client and of the service. We present a security architecture that protects both clients and services in distributed proxy-based computing. In this architecture, the service registers a signed authentication proxy with the directory. The client, after downloading a signed authentication proxy from the directory, verifies the signature on the proxy, authenticates itself to the service through the proxy, and receives a dedicated session proxy for the service over a secure channel. We also describe a Java-based toolkit that implements the security architecture. This toolkit enables developers to add security to Java RMI-based applications with minimal implementation effort.