Parameterized Service-Linked Roles for Cloud Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service-linked roles in cloud environments are defined universally, leading to over-permissive access as services lack visibility into specific user resources, posing security risks and requiring unnecessary access permissions.
Innovation Solution
Parameterized Service-Linked Roles (PSLRs) allow services to define permission policies with user-specified actions and resources, validated against specific requirements, ensuring only necessary access is granted to user resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If service-linked roles are defined universally to allow services access to user resources, then service functionality is enabled, but security risks increase due to over-permissive access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by transitioning from universal service-linked roles to resource-specific policies. Each policy is tailored to specific resources and actions, granting permissions locally rather than universally. This allows services to access only the specific resources they need with specific actions, rather than having broad universal access, thereby reducing security risks while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the universal service-linked role into multiple resource-specific policies. Instead of a single blanket permission, the system divides access control into discrete policies for individual resources or resource types. This segmentation enables precise control over which services can access which resources with which actions, eliminating over-permissioning.
2Ease of operation
If service-linked roles grant broad access permissions, then services can perform required actions on user resources, but unnecessary access permissions are granted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by making policies resource-specific rather than universal. Each policy explicitly defines the resource ARN, action, and effect, ensuring that services receive only the specific permissions needed for each resource. This eliminates unnecessary broad access permissions while maintaining ease of operation through a standardized policy structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamics by making policies configurable and adaptable to specific resource types and actions. Rather than static universal permissions, the system dynamically generates policies based on the specific service, resource, and action combinations, ensuring that permissions match actual operational needs without excess.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If parameterized policies are implemented to specify exact resources and actions, then security is improved, but policy complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a standardized parameterized policy template that can be applied across multiple resources and services. The template structure with defined parameters (resource type, action, effect) provides a universal framework that simplifies policy creation while maintaining security. This multi-functional template reduces complexity by providing a consistent pattern rather than requiring custom policies for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by defining policies with configurable parameters such as resource type, resource ARN, action, and effect. This parameterized approach allows the same policy template to be adapted to different specific scenarios by simply changing the parameter values, reducing complexity while maintaining security precision. The parameters make policies flexible and reusable without requiring complex custom logic.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for parameterized trust and permission policies between entities for cloud resources are described. A method of parameterized trust and permission policies between entities for cloud resources may include receiving, by an access control service of a provider network, a request to generate a parameterized policy template, the parameterized policy template including characteristics of at least one action or at least one resource to be specified by a user, receiving a parameterized action list or a parameterized resource list from the user, validating the parameterized action list or the parameterized resource list based on the characteristics defined in the parameterized policy template, and generating a parameterized role based on the parameterized policy template and the parameterized action list or the parameterized resource list.