eBPF HTTP Connection State Tracking for Malicious Request Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing application layer security solutions for protocols like HTTP are resource-intensive, lack real-time context-aware decision-making, and are not effective in detecting malicious content, particularly in high-traffic environments, leading to delayed detection and prevention.
Innovation Solution
A system and method to leverage the capabilities of the eBPF program for inspecting and blocking malicious content at the application layer by assigning unique identifiers to connections, maintaining application layer state, and using eBPF programs to analyze HTTP requests, thereby identifying and blocking potentially harmful requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If application-level security modules or external proxies are used to intercept and filter traffic, then security detection capability is improved, but performance overhead increases and scalability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces application-level security modules and external proxies with an eBPF-based security mechanism that operates at the kernel level. This substitution moves security functions from user-space applications to the kernel's eBPF framework, eliminating the performance overhead associated with application-level interception while maintaining security detection capabilities through kernel-level packet filtering and state tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces eBPF programs as an intermediary layer between the network stack and application layer. This intermediary operates at the kernel level to perform security functions, acting as a mediator that filters and monitors traffic without requiring modifications to application code or introducing the overhead of external proxies.
2Measurement precision
If application-level security modules are used to intercept traffic, then security analysis capability is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the eBPF program universal by enabling it to perform multiple functions: security filtering, state tracking, and traffic monitoring within a single kernel-level framework. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate application-level security modules, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security analysis capabilities.
3Reliability
If existing network-level security measures are used, then access control is improved, but detection precision for malicious content deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions security monitoring from network-level to application-layer by maintaining state information in eBPF maps. This dimensional change enables precise detection of malicious content within HTTP requests while preserving access control capabilities, as the system can identify specific malicious patterns in application-layer data without compromising network-level security functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of blocking malicious connections based on application layer state into eBPF program is disclosed. The method includes receiving HTTP requests, associated with connections, from users and uniquely identifying and track each connection by assigning a unique identifier. Next, the method maintains the application layer state in the eBPF program for each connection by storing headers of corresponding kernel function calls and analyzing content associated with the received HTTP requests to detect malicious content by inspecting headers, payloads, and/or request parts of corresponding HTTP request via eBPF program to identify potentially harmful and unauthorized requests. Thereafter, the method includes blocking the connections associated with the detected malicious content based on the assigned unique identifier of the connections.