Packet Sniffer for Secure CPE Log Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service providers face challenges in securely retrieving system log information from customer premise equipment (CPE) devices without compromising network security, due to issues like network address translation (NAT) and potential security breaches when transmitting syslog messages over the Internet.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a packet sniffer located behind a network firewall on a protected virtual local area network (VLAN) captures UDP packets destined for a specific IP address and port, filtering out sensitive information and preventing exposure to hostile hosts, ensuring secure delivery of system log messages to a system administrator platform.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If system log information is transmitted over the Internet to a remote platform, then retrieval of log messages is enabled, but network security is compromised and information confidentiality is exposed
Solution Approach 1:
A packet sniffer is introduced as an intermediary device between the CPE and the remote platform. The packet sniffer captures UDP packets containing log messages locally and transfers only the necessary information to the platform, preventing direct exposure of the CPE to the Internet while enabling log retrieval functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential log message data from the UDP packets captured by the packet sniffer, separating the useful information from the broader network traffic. This allows selective transmission of only the required log data to the platform, minimizing information exposure while maintaining retrieval capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a packet sniffer is deployed behind a firewall on a protected VLAN, then network security is maintained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packet sniffer is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing UDP packets, filtering log messages, transferring data to the platform, and maintaining security protocols. By consolidating these functions into a single device, the patent reduces overall system complexity while maintaining security benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the packet capturing, data filtering, and secure transfer functions into a unified packet sniffer system. This integration eliminates the need for separate security devices and simplifies the overall architecture while maintaining the protected VLAN and firewall security measures.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If UDP packets are captured and filtered locally, then information confidentiality is protected, but processing time and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The packet sniffer performs preliminary actions by capturing and filtering UDP packets locally before transmission to the platform. This pre-processing of log message extraction and validation occurs at the source, reducing the burden on remote systems and minimizing overall processing latency while maintaining confidentiality.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting and preparing only the essential log message data locally through packet filtering, the system reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted and processed remotely. This extraction approach minimizes processing time and latency while maintaining information confidentiality through local filtering.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is provided for retrieving a system log. Packets that are destined for a predetermined network address and network port are detected and captured. The packets represent a log file corresponding to a customer premise equipment (CPE) for troubleshooting. A data file is generated to contain the log file, wherein the packets are discarded, by at a firewall, before reaching the predetermined network address and network port.