Container Credential Safety Management via Runtime Interception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software containers face challenges in credential safety management, as they often use unsafe credentials that can be easily guessed or discovered, leading to potential security breaches, especially in production environments, due to misconfiguration, reuse, or discoverability.
Innovation Solution
A credential safety management system that discovers expected credentials at runtime by scanning container images, runtime configuration data, and secrets management services, intercepts unsafe credential usage, and performs corrective actions to ensure secure credential usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If software containers use credentials stored in container images or configuration files for ease of operation, then deployment simplicity is improved, but credential security deteriorates because these credentials can be easily discovered or guessed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts credentials from the container image and configuration files into a separate secrets management service. The collector component scans the container image and configuration data to identify credential references, then the runtime service intercepts credential access requests and retrieves credentials dynamically from the secrets management service, preventing credentials from being stored in easily discoverable locations while maintaining ease of deployment through automated credential injection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a secrets management service as an intermediary between the container application and credentials. The runtime service acts as a mediator that intercepts credential requests from the container, validates them against the unsafe credential set determined by the collector, and retrieves credentials dynamically from the secrets management service. This intermediary layer prevents direct access to stored credentials while maintaining application functionality.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If credentials are dynamically retrieved from a secrets management service at runtime, then credential security is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional components and interception mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The runtime service performs multiple functions: it intercepts credential requests from containers, determines whether requested credentials are in the unsafe credential set, retrieves credentials dynamically from the secrets management service, and performs corrective actions if violations are detected. The collector also serves dual purposes by both discovering credentials and determining the unsafe credential set. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service through automated credential management. The collector automatically scans container images and configuration data to identify credentials and determine the unsafe credential set. The runtime service automatically intercepts credential requests, validates them, and retrieves appropriate credentials from the secrets management service without manual intervention. This automation reduces operational complexity despite the enhanced security mechanisms.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system intercepts and validates all credential requests at runtime, then credential safety is improved, but processing time increases due to additional validation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The collector performs preliminary action by scanning the container image and configuration data during the build or deployment phase to discover credentials and determine the unsafe credential set before the container runs. This pre-computation of the unsafe credential set allows the runtime service to quickly check credential requests against a pre-determined list rather than performing complex analysis during runtime, reducing processing time while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
An example computer-implemented method of providing security for a software container includes discovering credentials that a software container is expected to use at runtime. The discovering is performed prior to instantiation of the software container from a container image, and is based on one or more of credentials stored in the container image, credentials stored in runtime configuration data for the software container, and credentials from a secrets management service. An unsafe credential set is determined that includes one or more of the discovered credentials that do not meet predefined credential safety criteria. A runtime request is intercepted from the software container. A credential violation is detected based on the intercepted runtime request attempting to use a credential from the unsafe discovered credential set. A corrective action is performed for the software container based on the detected credential violation.