Sandbox Tool Isolation for Untrusted Content Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
In distributed computing environments, users face challenges in protecting their systems from malicious content as existing filtering and anti-virus programs are ineffective against unknown threats and can be exploited by malicious entities, and current access control methods either compromise system security or restrict application usage.
Innovation Solution
A sandbox tool creates an isolated execution environment, cooperating with a secure operating system to restrict access and isolate untrusted content, allowing users to access content without exposing their systems to potential threats by applying security contexts and namespaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If filtering and anti-virus programs are used to block dangerous content, then known threats can be identified and blocked, but previously unknown and emerging threats cannot be stopped and the programs themselves can be exploited by malicious entities
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the execution environment by creating an isolated sandbox for untrusted content, separating it from the main system. This allows the content to execute in a confined space with limited access to system resources, preventing both known and unknown threats from affecting the host system while maintaining full functionality within the sandbox.
Solution Approach 2:
The sandbox acts as an intermediary layer between untrusted content and the user's computing system. It mediates all interactions by enforcing access controls and security policies, allowing the system to safely execute potentially malicious content without exposing vulnerabilities to exploitation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If access controls are placed on an application program, then possible damage to the user's computing system is prevented, but the user cannot utilize the application program
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the computing environment into separate segments: the sandboxed application program and the host system. Access controls are applied specifically to the sandbox segment, allowing the application to execute with necessary permissions within its isolated environment while preventing harmful actions from reaching the host system.
Solution Approach 2:
Different access control policies are applied to different parts of the system. The sandboxed application receives appropriate access rights within its isolated environment to function normally, while the host system maintains strict access controls. This local differentiation allows the application to be usable while protecting the system from damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A sandbox tool can cooperate with components of a secure operating system to create an isolated execution environment for accessing content without exposing other processes and resources of the computing system to the untrusted content. The sandbox tool can create the isolated execution environment with an assigned security context of the secure operating system. The security context can define the security policies applied by the operating system to the isolated execution environment, thereby, defining the levels of access the isolated execution environment has to the resources of the computing system.