Metadata Labeling for Secure Code Initialization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current computer security measures struggle to prevent malicious code execution by failing to effectively separate data and executable instructions in memory, making it difficult to enforce security policies and prevent attacks.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses metadata labels to enforce security policies by identifying metadata symbols corresponding to entity names, applying these labels to entities in a target system, and associating them with object code loaded into application memory, thereby ensuring compliance with security policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If security policies are enforced at the metadata level with labels, then security reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional metadata processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments security enforcement into distinct metadata labels that can be independently applied to different code regions. Each metadata label represents a specific security attribute (e.g., executable, data, readonly), allowing fine-grained control without requiring complex monolithic security logic throughout the system.
Solution Approach 2:
Metadata labels serve as intermediaries between the security policy requirements and the actual code execution. Instead of directly implementing complex security checks in the execution path, the system uses metadata labels as a intermediate layer that encodes security attributes, which are then processed by the security enforcement mechanism.
2Reliability
If data and executable instructions are separated in memory, then security against malicious code execution is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional memory management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different memory attributes (metadata labels) to different local regions of memory based on their specific security requirements. Executable code regions receive executable metadata labels, data regions receive appropriate data labels, and readonly regions receive readonly metadata labels. This localized approach to memory security avoids the need for uniform complex memory management across the entire address space.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assignment of metadata labels to code regions during the loading and initialization phase, before execution begins. This preliminary action establishes the security boundaries and attributes of memory regions in advance, allowing the security enforcement mechanism to operate more efficiently during actual execution without requiring complex real-time memory management decisions.
3Reliability
If metadata labels are applied to all code regions, then security policy enforcement is improved, but processing time increases due to additional label assignment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies metadata labels selectively to only those code regions that require security enforcement, rather than uniformly labeling all memory regions. The security enforcement mechanism identifies and applies labels only to relevant regions (executable code, data sections, readonly sections), avoiding unnecessary processing of regions that do not require security attributes.
Solution Approach 2:
Metadata labels are assigned to code regions during the loading and initialization phase, before the security enforcement mechanism begins its operations. This preliminary labeling allows the security system to operate more efficiently during execution, as the metadata attributes are already in place and do not require real-time computation or assignment during code execution.
Data Source
AI summary
A system including at least one processor programmed to identify, based on a policy to be enforced, one or more metadata symbols corresponding to an entity name; identify, from a target description describing a target system, an entity description matching the entity name, wherein the entity description describes an entity of the target system; and apply a metadata label to the entity of the target system, wherein the metadata label is based on the one or more metadata symbols corresponding to the entity name, as identified based on the policy.