Hypervisor Secure Data Protection from VM Clones
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtualized computer systems, cloned virtual machines can access secure data unless specialized hardware is used, posing a security risk as existing technologies lack effective methods to prevent access without such hardware.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of paravirtualization, where the guest operating system is modified to receive messages from the hypervisor identifying secure memory locations, and the hypervisor manages cloning commands to ensure that clones do not access these locations, using techniques like direct-copy and copy-on-write commands to prevent access to secure data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If virtual machines are cloned using direct-copy or copy-on-write commands, then cloning efficiency and resource utilization are improved, but secure data access control deteriorates as clones can access sensitive information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments memory into secure and non-secure regions, and clones only non-secure memory pages. This segmentation allows efficient cloning of usable data while excluding sensitive information, resolving the contradiction between cloning efficiency and security control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts secure data from the cloning process by identifying and excluding secure memory pages from the copy operation. This extraction enables clones to be created efficiently without compromising secure data access control.
2Reliability
If specialized hardware is used to prevent clone access to secure data, then security is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces specialized hardware mechanisms with software-based virtual memory management and page table control. The hypervisor uses page table entries to control clone access to secure memory pages, eliminating the need for additional hardware while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the hypervisor as an intermediary layer between clones and physical memory. The hypervisor manages page tables and controls memory access, acting as a mediator that prevents clones from accessing secure data without requiring specialized hardware.
3Speed
If all memory is copied during VM cloning, then cloning speed is improved, but security deteriorates as secure data is replicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments memory into secure and non-secure pages, allowing the cloning process to quickly copy only non-secure pages while excluding secure pages. This segmentation maintains cloning speed by avoiding unnecessary copying of sensitive data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of secure memory pages before the cloning operation. By pre-marking secure pages in page tables, the system prepares the memory structure in advance, enabling fast cloning of only non-secure pages without compromising security.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for protecting secure data from virtual machine clones are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a hypervisor transmits a message to a guest operating system hosted by a first virtual machine, where the message identifies a memory location for a secure datum. After the transmission of the message, when the hypervisor receives a direct-copy command to clone the first virtual machine, the hypervisor creates a second virtual machine via direct copy, where the second virtual machine is not provided access to the secure memory location during its creation.