VM Secure Boot Certificate Segmentation for Self-Signed Trust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack the ability to manage self-signed certificates effectively for secure booting of virtual machines, leading to certificates being mistakenly included in both authorized and unauthorized databases, which can block legitimate applications.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing self-signed certificates in virtual machines, involving a hypervisor, EFI operating system loader, UEFI driver, and certificate data store, which includes authorized and unauthorized databases to ensure proper certificate management and secure booting by associating certificates with unique virtual machine identifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If certificates are managed in a single shared database for all virtual machines, then certificate management is simplified, but certificates may be mistakenly included in both authorized and unauthorized databases causing legitimate applications to be blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the certificate management system by creating separate authorized and unauthorized databases for each virtual machine instance. This segmentation prevents certificates from being incorrectly shared across multiple VMs, ensuring that each VM has its own distinct certificate sets and eliminating the problem of legitimate applications being blocked due to certificate mismanagement.
2Reliability
If separate authorized and unauthorized databases are maintained for each virtual machine, then certificate authorization accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the system automatically manages the creation, maintenance, and synchronization of authorized and unauthorized databases for each virtual machine. The certificate management system autonomously handles database operations without requiring manual intervention, thereby improving authorization accuracy while minimizing the perceived complexity for users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring separate authorized and unauthorized databases for each virtual machine before certificate management operations begin. This preliminary structuring ensures that certificates are properly categorized from the outset, preventing authorization errors while establishing a clear organizational framework that simplifies subsequent management.
3Ease of operation
If certificates are not properly distinguished between authorized and unauthorized, then certificate management is simpler, but secure boot process reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing distinct database structures and management rules for authorized and unauthorized certificates within each virtual machine. This localized differentiation ensures that certificates are properly distinguished and managed according to their specific authorization status, maintaining secure boot reliability while keeping management operations straightforward through clear, localized rules.
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system may initiate a secure boot process in response to a launch of a new virtual machine, and assign an identifier to the new virtual machine. In response to determining that the new virtual machine is to be associated with an authorized certificates database and an unauthorized certificates database, the system may compile a list of certificates for the new virtual machine. In response to determining that a first certificate from the list of certificates is to be included in the authorized certificates database, the system adds the first certificate to the authorized certificates database. In response to determining that a second certificate from the list of certificates is to be included in the unauthorized certificates database, the system adds the second certificate to the unauthorized certificates database.