Compliance Script Execution via Cryptographic Hash Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer systems executing compliance verification or remediation scripts are vulnerable to attacks due to the need for extended privileges, making them a target for malicious modifications, which can compromise security and lead to unauthorized operations.
Innovation Solution
Compliance scripts are executed within pre-defined security contexts enforced by mandatory or discretionary access control mechanisms and are stored and distributed as digitally signed files, using cryptographic hash functions to define installation paths and security settings, ensuring secure execution and limiting potential security exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If compliance scripts are executed with extended privileges to access system objects, then the scripts can perform compliance verification and remediation functions, but the system becomes vulnerable to malicious modifications and unauthorized operations
Solution Approach 1:
A sandbox environment is introduced as an intermediary between the compliance script and the host system. The sandbox acts as a mediator that isolates script execution from the host system, allowing scripts to access system objects through controlled interfaces while preventing direct modification of host files and processes. This resolves the contradiction by enabling script functionality while containing security risks within the isolated sandbox environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct components: the host system, the sandbox environment, and the compliance script. The sandbox itself is divided into isolated execution spaces with controlled access to host resources. This segmentation allows compliance verification functions to be performed while isolating potential malicious code from the host system, thus resolving the security vulnerability issue.
2Reliability
If compliance scripts are stored and distributed as digitally signed files with cryptographic hash functions, then unauthorized modifications are prevented, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Cryptographic hash functions and digital signatures are applied in advance during the script distribution and installation process. The sandbox environment pre- verifies the integrity of scripts before execution. This preliminary action ensures that only authorized, unmodified scripts are executed, maintaining reliability while the complexity is managed through automated verification processes rather than manual security checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The sandbox environment automatically performs integrity verification using embedded cryptographic functions without requiring external security infrastructure. The system self-verifies script authenticity and contains security checks within the sandbox itself, reducing the need for complex external security mechanisms while maintaining high reliability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If mandatory access control mechanisms are enforced during script execution, then security exposure is limited, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The sandbox environment serves as an intermediary layer that enforces mandatory access control policies automatically. Instead of requiring manual security configuration, the sandbox mediates all access requests between scripts and host system resources, applying security policies transparently. This maintains ease of operation for script developers while ensuring security exposure is limited through automated access control.
Solution Approach 2:
The sandbox changes the execution parameters of compliance scripts by running them in an isolated environment with modified access rights. Scripts execute with controlled privileges that are automatically adjusted by the sandbox based on security policies. This parameter change approach maintains operational simplicity for users while enforcing mandatory access control to limit security exposure.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for executing compliance verification or remediation scripts. An example method may comprise: identifying, by a computer system, a compliance script to be executed; determining a value of a cryptographic hash function of at least part of the identified compliance script; identifying, based on the value of the cryptographic hash function, an installation path of a corresponding digitally signed compliance script pre-installed on the computer system, the digitally signed compliance script associated with a security context; and executing, within the security context, the digitally signed compliance script.