Cloud CDR System Using Isolated Disposable VMs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) systems are susceptible to malware infections, which can lead to the spread of malware through the network, as they often rely on shared software libraries with vulnerabilities, and fail to effectively isolate disarm and reconstruct functions, allowing undetected malware to infect subsequent files and spread.
Innovation Solution
A CDR system with isolated and separate hardware-based Virtual Machines (VMs) for the disarm and reconstruct environments, using disposable VMs and sandboxes to ensure that only clean content is transmitted, and employing a cloud service for data processing, with a controller for file classification and routing, to prevent malware spread and ensure secure file transformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If shared software libraries are used in CDR systems, then system complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but vulnerability to malware infections increases and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the CDR functionality into isolated virtual machines (disarm VM and reconstruct VM) that run independently. Each VM has its own isolated environment with separate software instances, preventing shared vulnerabilities from affecting the entire system. The disarm function and reconstruct function are separated into different VMs with controlled communication between them.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses disposable, temporary VM instances that are created on-demand for processing files and then terminated. Each VM is short-lived and single-use, eliminating persistent vulnerabilities from shared libraries. The ephemeral nature of these VMs ensures that even if compromised, the damage is contained and does not persist across multiple file processing operations.
2Device complexity
If disarm and reconstruct functions are integrated in the same environment, then device complexity is reduced, but malware can infect subsequent files and spread through the network
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the CDR process into two separate virtual machines: a disarm VM that performs the disarm function and a reconstruct VM that performs the reconstruct function. These VMs are isolated from each other through virtualization, preventing malware from spreading between functions. Communication between VMs occurs through controlled interfaces that enforce security policies.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer (the virtualization platform and controlled communication interfaces) between the disarm and reconstruct functions. This intermediary enforces security boundaries, validates data exchange, and prevents direct interaction that could allow malware propagation. The intermediary ensures that only approved data passes between the isolated environments.
3Productivity
If cloud virtualization is used for CDR, then productivity is improved and file processing capability is enhanced, but susceptibility to malware infections increases due to shared vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs ephemeral, single-use VM instances in the cloud environment. Each VM is created temporarily to process a specific file or batch of files, then immediately terminated. This disposable approach eliminates the persistence of vulnerabilities in shared cloud libraries, as each VM has its own isolated software instance that does not share state with other VMs or persistent infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the cloud-based CDR functionality into isolated VM containers that run independently on the cloud infrastructure. This segmentation creates security boundaries that prevent malware from spreading across the cloud platform, even when using shared underlying hardware and software layers. Each VM maintains strict isolation from other cloud resources.
Data Source
AI summary
The present teachings disclose a file Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) system and method. The system includes: a disarm environment comprising disarm sandboxes to transform a file; a separate reconstruct environment; and a controller to classify a file content of a file as a filetype, to provide the file and the filetype to a selected disarm sandbox of the disarm sandboxes for transformation, to receive one or more disarmed files from the selected disarm sandbox, to provide the one or more disarmed files to the reconstruct environment, and to receive a reconstructed file from the reconstruct environment, wherein the disarm environment, the reconstruct environment, and the controller are isolated and separated from one another by hardware. Isolated and separate Virtual Machines (VMs) may host the controller, the disarm environment and the reconstruct environment. The VMs may be disposable VMs that include an application sandbox environment. The VMs may be provided by a cloud service.