Virtual Machine Image Encryption via Key Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud services face security concerns when storing or launching virtual machine images, particularly in public cloud environments, as they require secure encryption and decryption mechanisms to protect authentication information.
Innovation Solution
An encryption module is used to encrypt virtual machine images, with a pre-boot authentication process and a key storage system to manage decryption keys, ensuring secure booting of the operating system without maintaining encryption keys within the virtual machine image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual machine images are encrypted for security, then security is improved, but decryption key management becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts decryption keys from the virtual machine image and stores them in a separate key management service. This separation ensures that even if the virtual machine image is compromised, the decryption keys remain secure in a dedicated external system, resolving the contradiction by improving security while managing complexity through specialized key management infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a key management service as an intermediary between the encrypted virtual machine image and the decryption process. This intermediary securely manages key lifecycle operations, provides controlled access to decryption keys, and handles key rotation, thereby improving security posture while abstracting the complexity of key management from the virtualization platform
2Ease of operation
If authentication information is stored in the encrypted virtual machine image, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts authentication information from the virtual machine image and stores it in a separate secure key management service. This extraction ensures that authentication credentials are not embedded within the image file system, preventing unauthorized access even if the image is compromised, while maintaining ease of operation through automated authentication mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The key management service acts as an intermediary that securely stores and manages authentication information. It provides controlled access to authentication credentials during the boot process without requiring the information to be physically present in the virtual machine image, thereby improving security while maintaining operational simplicity through automated credential delivery
3Ease of operation
If decryption keys are maintained within the virtual machine image, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to root-level access risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts decryption keys from the virtual machine image and stores them in a protected external key management service. This extraction eliminates the vulnerability where root-level access to the virtual machine could potentially compromise decryption keys stored within the image, while maintaining ease of operation through automated key retrieval mechanisms during the boot process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves decryption key storage from the internal dimension (within the virtual machine image file system) to an external dimension (separate key management service). This dimensional separation ensures that even with root-level access to the virtual machine, decryption keys remain protected in a different security domain, thereby mitigating root-level access vulnerabilities while maintaining operational simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for encrypting a virtual machine image and accessing an encrypted virtual machine image. According to some embodiments an encryption module can encrypt a virtual machine image and place an encryption boot loader. The encryption boot loader may be extracted from the encrypted virtual machine image, be transmitted to, and stored at a key storage system. Upon a request to boot an operating system associated with the encrypted virtual machine image, a pre-boot execution environment may communicate with an image service to retrieve the encryption boot loader from the remote key storage system. The virtual machine image may therefore be decrypted suing the encryption boot loader, which may allow booting of the operating system.