Fixed Function Hardware Runtime Integrity Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for ensuring the run-time integrity of hypervisors in virtualized environments, such as cloud computing, are inefficient and vulnerable to malware attacks, as they either impact system performance or are susceptible to the same security threats they aim to protect against, and lack visibility into the integrity of system software with full access privileges.
Innovation Solution
A dedicated fixed function hardware component within the processor is used to perform runtime integrity measurements, which includes hardware structures like a platform controller hub, securely interfacing with a trusted module to compare initial and run-time hash values of system software, and reporting integrity failures out-of-band to prevent interference with system operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software based methods are used to monitor run-time integrity of system software, then integrity verification is achieved, but system performance is negatively impacted due to stealing clock cycles from CPU
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based integrity monitoring with a hardware-based solution. A dedicated fixed function hardware component is introduced that operates independently of the CPU, performing integrity measurements through hardware mechanisms rather than software routines. This substitution eliminates the performance penalty of stealing CPU clock cycles while maintaining integrity verification capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a trusted module as an intermediary between the hardware and the integrity verification process. This trusted module securely stores initial hash values and provides them to the fixed function hardware component, enabling integrity verification without direct CPU involvement. The intermediary architecture allows the system to verify integrity while the CPU remains fully available for productive work.
2Reliability
If software based methods are used to monitor run-time integrity, then integrity monitoring is achieved, but the methods are subject to the same malware attacks as the system software they protect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based integrity monitoring with hardware-based verification. The fixed function hardware component performs integrity measurements independently of the software stack, creating a security boundary that malware cannot compromise. Since the hardware operates at a lower level than the software it monitors, malicious software cannot infect or manipulate the verification process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the system into distinct layers: the trusted hardware layer that performs verification and the software layer that is being verified. This segmentation isolates the security-critical verification function from the potentially compromised software environment. The fixed function hardware component exists as a separate, protected entity that cannot be accessed or manipulated by malware running in the guest operating system or even the hypervisor.
3Reliability
If periodic rebooting of servers is performed to verify hypervisor integrity, then security verification is achieved, but service availability is negatively impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous periodic integrity verification through the fixed function hardware component, which automatically performs measurements at regular intervals without requiring system reboots. This continuous monitoring approach replaces the periodic reboot strategy, maintaining security verification while ensuring uninterrupted service availability. The hardware component operates autonomously in the background, verifying integrity without disrupting guest operating systems or hosted services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous integrity verification without interrupting normal system operations. The fixed function hardware component performs measurements continuously or periodically while the system remains fully operational, eliminating the need to stop services for verification. This continuous action maintains both security and productivity simultaneously, as the verification process runs concurrently with normal computing workloads.
4Productivity
If dedicated fixed function hardware is used for runtime integrity measurements, then verification speed is improved and CPU clock cycles are preserved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the integrity verification function from the main CPU and implements it as a dedicated fixed function hardware component. This extraction allows the verification function to operate independently with its own execution resources, improving verification speed without burdening the CPU. The component is self-contained with dedicated logic for performing hash comparisons, eliminating the need for complex software coordination while maintaining relatively simple hardware architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for providing processor-based dedicated fixed function hardware to perform runtime integrity measurements for detecting attacks on system supervisory software, such as a hypervisor or native Operating System (OS). The dedicated fixed function hardware is provided with memory addresses of the system supervisory software for monitoring. After obtaining the memory addresses and other information required to facilitate integrity monitoring, the dedicated fixed function hardware activates a lock-out to prevent reception of any additional information, such as information from a corrupted version of the system supervisory software. The dedicated fixed function hardware then automatically performs periodic integrity measurements of the system supervisory software. Upon detection of an integrity failure, the dedicated fixed function hardware uses out-of-band signaling to report that an integrity failure has occurred.The dedicated fixed function hardware provides for runtime integrity verification of a platform in a secure manner without impacting the performance of the platform.