Cloud Security Manager for API Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud computing environments face security issues due to third-party development frameworks that allow malicious users to gain unauthorized access by defining application classes with broad permissions, which standard Java security managers cannot defend against, especially in managed environments with untrusted dynamically created applications.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses hot-spot configurations to monitor and manage API usages at runtime, injecting a security manager into user applications to communicate with security extensions to grant or deny access, providing enhanced security through static and runtime analysis and enforcement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard Java security manager is used to enforce permissions, then basic security control is provided, but it cannot defend against malicious users who define application classes with broad permissions or perform injections using reflections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud computing environment security manager as an intermediary layer between the standard Java security manager and application classes. This security manager intercepts and monitors permission checks, reflection operations, and class loading activities, enabling enhanced security control without breaking compatibility with third-party frameworks that rely on standard Java security mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The security management functionality is segmented into multiple components: a cloud computing environment security manager for high-level policy enforcement, a standard Java security manager for basic permission control, and framework-specific security managers for targeted protection against framework-related attacks. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific security tasks while working together cooperatively.
2Adaptability or versatility
If third-party frameworks are allowed to perform custom classloading and reflections, then framework functionality is enabled, but malicious users can leverage these features to gain unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The security manager implements feedback mechanisms that monitor framework operations in real-time. When reflection or custom classloading is detected, the security manager receives feedback about the operation and responds by evaluating security policies, logging suspicious activities, and blocking malicious actions. This feedback loop enables dynamic security control that adapts to framework-specific attack patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The security manager performs preliminary anti-action by preemptively blocking malicious framework operations before they can execute. It establishes security policies that prevent unauthorized class loading, restrict reflection to approved targets, and block suspicious framework behaviors before they can compromise system security, rather than reacting after damage occurs.
3Reliability
If API whitelisting is used to address security issues, then some security control is provided, but it does not fully address situations with untrusted dynamically created applications in managed environments
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud computing environment security manager implements a universal security framework that handles multiple security concerns through a single integrated system. It combines API whitelisting, dynamic application analysis, framework-specific protection, and reflection monitoring into one multi-functional security manager that adapts to different threat scenarios without requiring separate security systems for each concern.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for providing application security in a cloud computing or other environment. A plurality of hot-spot configurations define API usages which, for security reasons, are of interest to be monitored at runtime, such as invocations of particular methods that are likely to be used to attempt unauthorized access. Upon a user application being received for deployment to the cloud environment, an application compiler determines, for API usages expressed as method invocations within the source code of the application, one or more hot-spot configurations and associated policies or actions. The application compiler can then inject the user application to provide a security manager that, during runtime, monitors the methods and values invoked, and communicates with one or more security extensions to grant or deny access.