Container Image Security Checking via Layer Parsing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rapid expansion of container technology in DevOps environments, particularly with Docker, highlights the need for effective security checking of container images to prevent fatal security attacks, as defective security settings can lead to vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for performing security checking on container images before execution, involving the identification of layers, collection of security configuration paths, and verification against a predetermined security policy, with a security checking unit that parses images, collects paths, generates check lists, and removes redundant paths to ensure compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If security checking is performed on container images, then security reliability is improved, but processing time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs security checking before container execution by parsing image layers and collecting security configuration paths in advance. The security checking unit identifies security configuration files during the image building stage, allowing vulnerabilities to be detected prior to deployment without impacting runtime performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the container image into multiple layers and processes each layer separately to collect security configuration paths. By dividing the image structure into manageable layers and checking them individually, the system reduces overall processing time while maintaining comprehensive security coverage
2Reliability
If comprehensive security checking is performed on all image layers, then security coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary security configuration paths from each image layer by collecting paths of security configuration files specifically. This selective extraction approach ensures comprehensive security coverage while avoiding unnecessary processing of non-security-related content, thereby reducing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a security checking unit as an intermediary component that mediates between the image parsing process and security policy verification. This dedicated unit handles the complexity of security configuration identification and path collection, simplifying the overall system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for security checking of image for container are provided, one of methods comprises, receiving an image for creating a container, wherein the container is an isolation region for an application executable on a host operating system, identifying one or more layers composing the image by parsing the image, collecting a path of a security configuration file, a security check object, from the one or more layers, and searching the collected path and checking whether a security configuration file violating a predetermined security policy is present.