Container Migration Integrity Verification via Immutable Ledger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container migration attacks, such as denial of service, man-in-the-middle, and replay attacks, can occur when containers are in transit between hosts, leading to potential tampering, data compromise, and degradation of services.
Innovation Solution
The use of an immutable ledger, like a blockchain, to hash and store container hashes before and after migration, allowing for verification of container integrity and detection of tampering during the migration process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If containers are migrated between hosts in a distributed environment, then container mobility and resource utilization are improved, but container integrity and security are worsened due to potential tampering during transit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by computing and storing the hash of the container image and its layers in an immutable ledger before migration occurs. This pre-computed hash serves as a reference for later verification, allowing the system to detect any tampering that occurs during container migration between hosts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by verifying the container's integrity after migration by comparing the post-migration hash against the pre-stored hash in the immutable ledger. This feedback mechanism confirms whether the container was tampered with during transit, enabling security validation without compromising mobility.
2Reliability
If container hashes are stored and verified using an immutable ledger, then container integrity verification is improved, but system complexity and computational overhead are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by storing only the hash values of container images and layers in the immutable ledger, rather than storing the actual container data. This approach enables integrity verification while minimizing the complexity and storage requirements of the verification system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by using a general-purpose immutable ledger structure that can serve multiple functions: storing pre-migration hashes for integrity verification, recording container layer information, and providing an audit trail. This multi-functional approach reduces overall system complexity by consolidating verification mechanisms.
3Productivity
If containers are authenticated to external systems during migration, then service continuity is improved, but attack surface and vulnerability to compromise are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing integrity verification against the immutable ledger before the container establishes connections with external systems such as storage, telemetry, or network controllers. This ensures that only verified, un tampered containers are authenticated to external services, reducing the attack surface while maintaining service continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
One example method includes receiving, at a target, a migrated container, the container being migrated by a source, retrieving, by the target, a first container hash from an immutable distributed ledger, the first container hash being created at the source by hashing the container, and the first container hash being written by the source to the immutable distributed ledger, hashing, at the target, the container to create a second container hash, writing, by the target, the second container hash to the immutable distributed ledger, and determining, by the target, whether the first container hash and the second container hash match, and a failure of the first container hash to match the second container hash indicates that in-flight tampering of the container has occurred while the container was migrating from the source to the target.