Interprocess Access Control via Policy Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current access control mechanisms for interprocess communications (IPC) in computing devices lack sufficient security and flexibility, as they rely on simple binary permission systems, which can lead to unauthorized access and data exposure, especially between different user profiles or managed environments.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing access control of IPCs, involving an Access Control System within the operating system that performs pre-authorization and policy checks based on IPC metadata, target process attributes, and contextual attributes, using a Policy Manager and Policy Store to determine whether to permit or deny IPC processing, thereby enhancing security and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple binary permission system is used for interprocess communication, then the system is easy to implement and operate, but security is insufficient and unauthorized access can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The access control system is segmented into multiple independent components: an access control module that intercepts IPC calls, a policy manager that stores and retrieves policies, and a policy evaluator that determines authorization. This segmentation allows the system to enhance security through multiple check layers while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary authorization checks before allowing IPC to proceed. The access control module intercepts IPC calls early in the process, retrieves relevant policies beforehand, and evaluates authorization conditions before the actual communication occurs, preventing unauthorized access proactively rather than reactively.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a granular access control system with multiple policies is implemented, then security and flexibility are improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The policy manager serves multiple functions: storing policies, retrieving policies, evaluating policies, and managing policy lifecycles. This multi-functional design allows the system to handle diverse access control requirements with a single unified component, enhancing flexibility while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate policy management systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The access control module acts as an intermediary between the IPC framework and the policy manager. It translates IPC calls into policy evaluation requests, manages the interaction between different system components, and coordinates the authorization process, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture despite the granular policy control.
3Reliability
If pre-authorization checks and policy evaluations are performed for every IPC, then unauthorized access is prevented, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial authorization checks by evaluating only the specific policies relevant to each IPC call rather than all possible policies. The policy evaluator selectively retrieves and evaluates only the necessary policies based on the IPC type and involved processes, providing sufficient security verification without the overhead of comprehensive evaluation of every possible access rule.
4Measurement precision
If detailed metadata and contextual attributes are collected for policy evaluation, then access control precision is improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system collects and evaluates only the specific metadata and contextual attributes relevant to each IPC call rather than all possible attributes. The policy evaluator determines precisely which attributes are needed for the current authorization decision (such as process identifiers, IPC types, and user profiles), collecting only that local information necessary for accurate evaluation without unnecessary data overhead.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems for managing access control of interprocess communications between processes executing on a computing device are provided. Interprocess communication is determined to be permitted or denied based on calling process attribute data, target process attribute data, IPC attribute data, and contextual attribute data of an operating system, and one or more access policies.