Locality Domain Identifier for Secure Enclave Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processors, such as those with Intel® Software Guard Extensions (SGX), provide secure enclaves for protecting data within a computing device but do not ensure that secure communication sessions are established within the same physical device, leaving them vulnerable to remote pairing attacks.
Innovation Solution
A locality domain identifier (LDID) is generated by the processor and shared via local channels to establish proof of locality, ensuring that only local hardware components can possess it, thereby preventing remote attacks by requiring a challenge-response handshake for secure communication sessions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secure enclaves are used to protect data within the processor, then data confidentiality and integrity are improved, but vulnerability to remote pairing attacks increases because I/O data moving across the on-chip boundary is not protected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a locality proof mechanism as an intermediary between the secure enclave and I/O operations. This mechanism includes a locality domain identifier (LDID) that is bound to the processor and a challenge-response protocol that verifies the physical location of communication partners. The LDID acts as a mediator that proves the communicating hardware components are located within the same physical device, thereby preventing remote pairing attacks while maintaining the confidentiality benefits of secure enclaves.
2Ease of operation
If I/O data is allowed to move freely across the on-chip boundary, then ease of operation is improved, but security against remote attacks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary verification through a challenge-response protocol before allowing I/O operations to proceed. The processor generates a challenge, sends it to the communicating hardware component, receives a response, and validates it against the bound LDID. This preliminary action ensures that only locally-present hardware components can successfully complete the verification, thereby enabling secure I/O operations without restricting ease of operation for legitimate local components.
3Reliability
If a challenge-response handshake is implemented to verify locality, then security against remote attacks is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by binding the locality domain identifier specifically to the processor's secure enclave environment. The LDID is generated and bound within the secure boundaries of the processor, creating a localized security context. This approach allows the challenge-response protocol to operate with minimal complexity outside the secure enclave, as the binding operation confines the complexity to a specific local context rather than requiring system-wide complexity increases.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies for establishing device locality are disclosed. A processor in a computing device generates an identifier distinct to the computing device. The processor transmits the identifier to a management controller via a hardware bus in the computing device. The processor generates a key and encrypts the key with the identifier to generate a wrapped key. The processor transmits the wrapped key to the management controller. In turn, the management controller unwraps the key using the identifier. Other embodiments are described and claimed.