Formal Verification of Computer Platforms Without Implicit Trust
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current cybersecurity solutions for computer platforms rely on implicit trust in the operating environment, which can be exploited by sophisticated attackers, leading to reactive responses and increased complexity, and do not provide proactive, mathematically-backed security guarantees.
Innovation Solution
A mathematical modeling approach is applied to the hardware and software stack of computer platforms to define interfaces, operational aspects, and invariants, using assume-guarantee interface-confined reasoning, enabling formal verification to ensure security properties hold throughout the platform's lifetime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If implicit trust in the operating environment is used for cybersecurity, then system complexity is reduced, but security reliability deteriorates due to exploitation by sophisticated attackers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/trust-based security system with a mathematical formal verification system. Instead of relying on implicit trust in the operating environment, the system uses mathematical models and formal methods to verify security properties, thereby improving security reliability without significantly increasing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces mathematical models and formal verification mechanisms as intermediaries between the hardware/software stack and security guarantees. These mathematical abstractions serve as mediators that provide provable security properties without requiring direct trust in the underlying operating environment
2Loss of time
If reactive cybersecurity responses are implemented, then response time to threats is improved, but system complexity increases due to multiple security layers and overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing formal verification of security properties during the design and development phases, before the system is deployed. This proactive approach ensures security guarantees are established upfront through mathematical proof, eliminating the need for complex reactive security layers and reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the security verification function from the operational runtime environment and places it in the design-time formal verification process. By taking out the security guarantees from the running system and establishing them through mathematical proof beforehand, the system reduces operational complexity and overhead
3Reliability
If mathematical modeling and formal verification are applied to hardware and software stack, then security guarantees are improved, but verification complexity and computational overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the formal verification process into distinct mathematical models for different components of the hardware and software stack. By dividing the verification task into manageable segments corresponding to specific hardware elements and software layers, the system maintains high security guarantees while reducing the complexity of the overall verification process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of verification by using mathematical abstractions and formal methods that transform complex security verification into structured mathematical proofs. This parameter transformation allows for rigorous security guarantees while managing verification complexity through systematic mathematical reasoning
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for mathematical modeling of the hardware and software stack of commodity computer platforms are provided, enabling provable guarantees on memory, device, and program execution. This approach addresses the technical problem of reliance on system agents that rely on implicit trust in the operating environment, which can be exploited by sophisticated attackers using complex threats such as memory access exploits and code/data integrity exploits. The solution provides a proactive, mathematically-backed security solution that eliminates entire classes of cyberattacks by design, ensuring realizable guarantees on commodity computer platforms running hardware and software stack elements at the lowest operating level. This approach has significant advantages over current reactive cybersecurity methods, including reduced complexity and overhead, and increased confidence in the integrity of the system. The solution's main uses include providing mathematically-backed security and availability guarantees for critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and other organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks.