Database Proxy for Anomalous Query Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing database security measures are vulnerable to attacks where compromised applications can bypass security by sending anomalous queries to remote databases, exposing protected data.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a restricted interface between applications and remote databases, which analyzes query behavior, identifies expected query patterns, and filters out anomalous queries, using a database proxy or microservices to intercept and manage communications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the application is given access to the remote database, then the application can store and access user account data, but the security of the database is vulnerable to attacks from compromised applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a database proxy as an intermediary component between the application and the remote database. The proxy analyzes query behavior, identifies expected query patterns, and filters out anomalous queries before they reach the database. This mediator allows legitimate application access while blocking malicious queries, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and security vulnerability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the application has limited access to the remote database as a security measure, then the security is improved, but the application cannot access protected data effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic query behavior analysis where the system learns and adapts to the application's normal query patterns over time. The database proxy dynamically adjusts what constitutes expected versus anomalous behavior based on observed usage patterns. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain strong security limits while still permitting all legitimate data access operations that match the learned behavioral patterns.
3Productivity
If the database believes queries to be valid from the application, then the database can respond to queries, but attackers can bypass security measures by pretending to be the application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the database proxy continuously monitors query behavior and compares it against learned patterns of legitimate application behavior. When a query deviates from expected patterns, the proxy provides feedback by blocking the query and can log the anomaly for further analysis. This feedback loop enables the system to maintain high productivity for legitimate queries while identifying and blocking attacker attempts to bypass security.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a restricted interface is established between the application and remote database, then security is enhanced by filtering anomalous queries, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the security analysis functionality from the core database system and places it in a separate database proxy component. This extraction allows the main database to remain simple and focused on data storage and retrieval, while the proxy handles the complexity of query behavior analysis and anomaly detection. By separating these concerns, the system achieves enhanced security without significantly increasing the complexity of the core database operations.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for establishing restricted interfaces for database applications may include analyzing, by a computing device, query behavior of an application for query requests from the application to a remote database in a computer system and identifying, based on the analysis, an expected query behavior for the application. The method may include establishing, between the application and the remote database, a restricted interface. The method may include receiving, at the restricted interface, a query request from the application to the remote database and limiting, by the restricted interface, the query request from the application to the remote database based on the expected query behavior. The method may include determining, by checking the query request against the expected query behavior, that the query request is anomalous query behavior and performing a security action with respect to the computer system. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.