Virtual Guest Memory Protection via VM Manager Access Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual guests in cloud computing environments are vulnerable to compromised hosts, as they must trust the cloud provider to secure their data, limiting their ability to run in public clouds due to potential access by the host.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow a virtual guest to set a portion of its run-time memory as inaccessible by the virtual machine manager, enabling direct communication with the processor to manage access permissions and protect sensitive data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If virtual guests trust the host/virtual machine manager to manage their memory, then ease of operation is improved, but security deteriorates because the host could access or compromise the virtual guest's confidential data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments memory access rights by creating separate memory spaces with different access permissions. The virtual machine manager is granted access to a first memory space for managing virtual guests, while the virtual guest is granted access to a second memory space containing confidential data. This segmentation ensures that even if the virtual machine manager is compromised, the virtual guest's confidential data remains protected as the virtual guest can deny access to the second memory space.
2Device complexity
If the virtual machine manager has full access to manage the virtual guest, then device complexity is reduced, but security deteriorates due to potential unauthorized access to virtual guest memory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different access permissions to different memory regions. The virtual machine manager has full access permissions to the first memory space for managing virtual guests, while the virtual guest has full access permissions to the second memory space for storing confidential data. This local differentiation of access rights allows the virtual machine manager to manage virtual guests effectively without being able to access or compromise the virtual guest's confidential data stored in the second memory space.
Data Source
AI summary
The method for protecting memory of a virtual guest includes initializing a virtual guest on a host computing system. The host computing system includes a virtual machine manager that manages operation of the virtual guest. The virtual guest includes a distinct operating environment executing in a virtual operation platform provided by the virtual machine manager. The method includes receiving an allocation of run-time memory for the virtual guest, the allocation of run-time memory comprising a portion of run-time memory of the host computing system. The method includes setting, by the virtual guest, at least a portion of the allocation of run-time memory to be inaccessible by the virtual machine manager.