Java Reflection Runtime Protection With Policy-Based Auditing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Java Reflection System poses significant security concerns due to its inherent insecurity, allowing unscrupulous parties to access and modify data without proper granular controls, exposing sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
A reflection runtime protection and auditing system that instruments software applications to detect and audit reflection calls, determining targets and callers, and enforces a security policy to authorize or block unauthorized access, eliminating the need for the Java Security Manager and its broad permissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Java Reflection System is used to access and modify data, then code flexibility and interoperability are improved, but security and data protection are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Reflection Proxy as an intermediary component between the Reflection System and the target objects. This proxy intercepts reflection calls, validates them against security policies, and only permits authorized access. The intermediary layer maintains the flexibility of reflection while preventing unauthorized operations, thus resolving the contradiction between code flexibility and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the reflection access control into multiple layers: a security policy definition layer, a validation layer that checks calls against policies, and an execution layer that permits or blocks reflection operations. This segmentation allows flexible reflection to be enabled only where security policies permit, maintaining both adaptability and security.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If Java Security Manager is used to control reflection access, then security is improved, but device complexity and implementation burden are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the security control functionality from the Java Security Manager and implements it through a Reflection Proxy that operates at the reflection call level. This extraction eliminates the need for complex permission policies and security managers, reducing implementation complexity while maintaining effective security control through simpler proxy-based validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The Reflection Proxy implements self-service security by automatically validating reflection calls against stored security policies without requiring external security managers or complex permission configurations. The system serves its own security needs through automated policy enforcement, reducing implementation complexity.
3Ease of operation
If broad reflection permissions are granted, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of information and data exposure are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling reflection access selectively rather than broadly. The security policy defines specific local conditions under which reflection is permitted (e.g., allowed callers, allowed targets, allowed operations). This allows ease of operation for authorized cases while preventing data exposure for unauthorized cases, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and information protection.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method may comprise: instrumenting, by a process, runtime of a software application; detecting, by the process, a reflection call made within the runtime of the software application; determining, by the process and from the reflection call, a reflection target and a reflection caller; comparing, by the process, the reflection target, the reflection caller, and the reflection call against a security policy; and performing, by the process, one or more mitigation actions on the reflection call in response to a violation of the security policy. In another embodiment, a secure audit process first generates the security policy based on approving reflection calls, reflection targets, and reflection callers seen during a runtime of the software application in a secure environment, and then shares the security policy with local instrumentors of the software application to cause enforcement of the security policy against a local runtime of the software application.