Iframe Isolation via Remote Server Proxy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Allowing browsers to execute executable code in webpages can lead to security threats due to the potential for malicious code, especially in 'waterhole' attacks where a trusted webpage includes less trusted iframes, making it difficult to isolate and secure the local client without disrupting the webpage's functionality.
Innovation Solution
A remote isolation server targets and isolates specific iframes within a webpage by replacing their code with isolation code, intercepting messages between the iframe and the webpage, and handling them securely, thereby preventing malicious execution on the local client while maintaining the webpage's functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire webpage is isolated on a remote server to prevent malicious code execution, then security is improved, but the time and cost of web isolation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the webpage into multiple components (main page content and iframe content) and applies isolation only to the suspicious iframe portion rather than the entire webpage. This is achieved by injecting a proxy script into the main page that intercepts and isolates specific iframe requests, allowing the main page to load normally while only the targeted iframe is processed through the isolation gateway, thereby reducing overall isolation time and computational cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the suspicious iframe component from the overall webpage isolation process. Instead of isolating the entire webpage, the system identifies and extracts only the problematic iframe for remote processing. The main webpage continues to load and execute locally, while only the extracted iframe content is sent to the remote isolation gateway for safe rendering, significantly reducing the scope and duration of isolation operations.
2Reliability
If the entire webpage is isolated on a remote server to prevent malicious code execution, then security is improved, but the cost of web isolation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the webpage into multiple components (main page content and iframe content) and applies isolation only to the suspicious iframe portion rather than the entire webpage. This is achieved by injecting a proxy script into the main page that intercepts and isolates specific iframe requests, allowing the main page to load normally while only the targeted iframe is processed through the isolation gateway, thereby reducing overall isolation time and computational cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial isolation action by processing only the necessary iframe components through the remote isolation gateway rather than the entire webpage. The proxy script identifies suspicious iframes and sends only those specific components for isolation, leaving the rest of the webpage to load and execute locally, thereby reducing the computational resources and costs required for web isolation.
3Ease of operation
If iframe code is executed on the local client to maintain functionality, then webpage functionality is preserved, but security risk increases due to potential malicious code
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote isolation gateway as an intermediary between the local client and the iframe content. The gateway acts as a mediator that receives iframe requests from the local browser, executes the iframe code in an isolated remote environment, and returns the rendered content to the client. This allows iframe functionality to be preserved while eliminating the security risk of executing potentially malicious code locally, as the intermediary handles all code execution in a controlled remote environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the iframe execution process from the local client environment and relocates it to a remote isolation gateway. By removing the code execution from the local system and performing it remotely, the patent maintains the functional benefits of iframe content while eliminating the security vulnerability of executing untrusted code on the client machine.
4Productivity
If specific iframes are targeted for isolation based on risk level, then isolation efficiency is improved, but the complexity of identifying and targeting iframes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the proxy script continuously monitors iframe loading events and communicates with the isolation gateway to determine which iframes require isolation. The system receives feedback about iframe content and origin, evaluates risk levels based on this feedback, and dynamically adjusts isolation decisions. This feedback loop enables efficient targeting of suspicious iframes while maintaining a relatively simple overall architecture, as the complexity of risk assessment is handled through automated feedback-driven decision-making rather than complex manual configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
Isolating an iframe of a webpage. In one embodiment, a method may include targeting an iframe in a webpage for isolation, executing, in a server browser, iframe code, sending, from the remote isolation server to the local client, the webpage with the iframe code of the iframe replaced with isolation code, executing, in a client browser, webpage code and the isolation code, intercepting, in the client browser, webpage messages sent from the webpage code and intended to be delivered to the iframe, sending, to the remote isolation server, the intercepted webpage messages to be injected into the iframe code executing at the server browser, intercepting, at the server browser, iframe messages sent from the iframe code and intended to be delivered to the webpage, and sending, to the local client, the intercepted iframe messages to be injected into the webpage code executing at the client browser.