Securing Inter-Process Communication via Message Validation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In operating environments that use message queues for inter-process communication, there is a lack of authentication and validation of messages, allowing malicious processes to potentially run arbitrary code with administrative privileges, leading to security risks and system vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a message manager with a message interceptor and evaluator that applies message posting rules to authenticate and validate messages before allowing them to be posted to a message queue, including process and thread identifiers, and terminating unauthorized requests to prevent security breaches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If message queues are used for inter-process communication without authentication, then communication efficiency is improved, but security is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing authentication and validation of messages before they are posted to the message queue. The system checks the authenticity of the sending process and validates message parameters in advance, preventing malicious messages from entering the queue while maintaining legitimate communication flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism between the message sender and the message queue. This intermediary layer (the authentication and validation system) mediates the communication by verifying credentials and validating messages before allowing them to be processed, thus securing the communication channel without blocking legitimate messages.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If message validation and authentication are implemented, then security is improved, but system complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a multi-functional message manager that handles both legitimate message processing and security validation. The same message manager component that processes messages also performs authentication and validation, eliminating the need for separate dedicated security modules and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the message structure by adding authentication fields (such as process identifier, thread identifier, and authentication tokens) to the message data structure. This allows the existing message queue infrastructure to handle security validation without requiring fundamentally new system components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If thorough message checking is performed, then security is improved, but message processing speed is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing selective validation based on message type and source. Rather than validating every message parameter exhaustively for all messages, the system performs authentication checks on all messages but applies detailed parameter validation only when necessary, balancing security with processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs authentication verification in advance before detailed message validation. By quickly determining whether a message is authentic through preliminary checks (such as verifying process identifiers and authentication tokens), the system can rapidly reject malicious messages without performing thorough validation on legitimate messages, thus maintaining processing speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A request to post a message to a destination is intercepted in an operating environment in which processes communicate via message queues. Message content and requester information associated with the request is evaluated to determine whether the message is to be posted. The message is posted to a message queue of the destination if the message is to be posted.