TEE Provisioning Through Platform Chain of Trust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing confidential computing solutions in distributed computing systems are not secure end-to-end, as cloud providers can potentially know or manipulate the secrets used to protect data, compromising data security when in use.
Innovation Solution
Provisioning a trusted execution environment (TEE) based on a chain of trust that includes a platform, where measurements of the TEE are signed with a platform signing key, allowing customization of the TEE with information without other parties knowing or manipulating it, and utilizing consensus algorithms to establish trust and secure key management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional confidential computing solutions are employed, then data protection is provided, but the cloud provider can potentially know or manipulate the secrets used to protect data
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the trust model by introducing a chain of trust that separates the cloud provider from the secret management process. The TEE is provisioned with information based on a chain of trust that does not include the cloud provider, dividing the security architecture into distinct trusted and untrusted zones. This allows data protection to be maintained while preventing cloud provider access to secrets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary chain of trust mechanism that mediates between the client device and the TEE. The chain of trust includes measurements and signatures that verify the TEE's integrity without requiring the cloud provider to have access to the actual secrets. This intermediary structure enables data protection while eliminating the cloud provider's potential access to protective secrets.
2Reliability
If a chain of trust is established from TEE to platform, then secure provisioning is enabled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chain of trust mechanism is designed to be universal and multi-functional, serving multiple purposes within the system. It provides secure provisioning, integrity verification, and authentication simultaneously. By making the chain of trust structure multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate mechanisms for each security function, thereby managing complexity while maintaining secure provisioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The chain of trust is structured in a nested manner, with measurements nested within signatures, which are nested within the overall trust verification process. This nested structure organizes the complexity in a hierarchical and manageable way, allowing secure provisioning to be achieved through layered verification rather than through a monolithic complex system.
3Loss of information
If TEEs are customized with information in absence of secure channel, then confidentiality is maintained, but risk of manipulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing the chain of trust and verifying the TEE's integrity before actual information provisioning occurs. The client device receives measurements and verifies signatures in advance, ensuring that the TEE is in a trusted state before any confidential information is transmitted. This preliminary verification reduces the risk of manipulation while maintaining confidentiality during the provisioning process.
Solution Approach 2:
The chain of trust mechanism incorporates feedback loops where the TEE provides measurements and signatures that are verified by the client device. This feedback allows the system to continuously verify the integrity of the TEE and the provisioning process, reducing the risk of manipulation even when operating without a secure channel. The feedback mechanism ensures that confidentiality is maintained while integrity is verified through the trust chain.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described herein that are capable of provisioning a trusted execution environment (TEE) based on (e.g., based at least in part on) a chain of trust that includes a platform on which the TEE executes. Any suitable number of TEEs may be provisioned. For instance, a chain of trust may be established from each TEE to the platform on which an operating system that launched the TEE runs. Any two or more TEEs may be launched by operating system(s) running on the same platform or by different operating systems running on respective platforms. Once the chain of trust is established for a TEE, the TEE can be provisioned with information, including but not limited to policies, secret keys, secret data, and/or secret code. Accordingly, the TEE can be customized with the information without other parties, such as a cloud provider, being able to know or manipulate the information.