Kernel-Level Intrusion Detection Agent for Process Privilege Enforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The proliferation of Internet-connected devices and cloud computing has created a significant challenge in device security, as malicious agents frequently attempt to breach user devices, often undetected for long periods.
Innovation Solution
An intrusion detection agent is implemented on user computing devices to determine if processes attempting to access host interfaces have sufficient privileges. If not, the agent terminates the process. Additionally, the agent can be assigned a more privileged level than administrative users and monitor system resources, manage system calls, and prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an intrusion detection agent is implemented to monitor and control process access to host interfaces, then device security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intrusion detection agent as an intermediary component that operates at the operating system kernel level. This agent acts as a mediator between processes and host interfaces, monitoring and controlling access without requiring fundamental changes to the underlying system architecture. The agent intercepts system calls and access attempts, evaluating them against security policies before allowing access to proceed, thereby enhancing security while maintaining relative system simplicity.
2Measurement precision
If the intrusion detection agent is assigned a more privileged level than administrative users, then security monitoring capability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the operating system into multiple privilege levels, with the intrusion detection agent operating at a higher privilege level than traditional administrative users. This segmentation allows the agent to access and monitor system resources that are normally protected, including kernel memory and system call interfaces. The segmented privilege structure enables precise security monitoring while isolating the agent's elevated permissions from general system operations.
3Measurement precision
If the intrusion detection agent monitors all process access attempts to host interfaces, then detection precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial monitoring by focusing the intrusion detection agent's attention on specific high-risk areas such as host interface access attempts and critical system calls. Rather than monitoring all system activities equally, the agent prioritizes monitoring of processes that attempt to access hardware interfaces or modify system configuration. This selective monitoring approach maintains high detection precision for critical security events while reducing the overall processing overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for real-time security monitoring on a computing device are presented. A system may define privileges to access hardware interfaces for each process of a plurality of processes executing on a computing device. The privileges may be defined in a privileged operating system level that controls root access to an operating system. In response to a determination that a process is attempting to access a hardware interface, the system may determine whether the process is privileged to access the hardware interface by checking the privileges. In response to determining that the process is not privileged to access the hardware interface, the intrusion detection agent may terminate the process.