INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20120117566A1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Maeda, Manabu, Matsushima, Hideki, Haga, Tomoyuki, Nicolson, Kenneth Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/556 involving covert channels, i.e. data leakage between processes inhibiting the analysis of circuitry or operation with measures against power attack G06F21/755
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

Provided is an information processing device which is capable of preventing data leakage caused by a malicious application or malicious device driver and of allowing cooperation among virtual machines. The information processing device (110) includes: an external connection unit (1309) which connects to an external device; and a communication control unit which obtains data from a first virtual machine (1002), transmits the data to a second virtual machine (1003), and transmits, to the external connection unit, transmission completion information indicating that the data is already transmitted to the second virtual machine, wherein the external connection unit (i) determines, based on the transmission completion information, whether or not a virtual machine is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted, when the external connection unit receives, from the virtual machine, a request for a connection to the external device, and (ii) permit a connection between the virtual machine and the external device, when the external connection unit determines that the virtual machine is not the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted.

Claims

1. An information processing device having a plurality of virtual machines, said information processing device comprising:

an external connection unit configured to connect to an external device outside of said information processing device; and

a communication control unit configured to obtain data from a first virtual machine among the virtual machines, transmit the data to a second virtual machine among the virtual machines, and transmit, to said external connection unit, transmission completion information indicating that the data is already transmitted to the second virtual machine,

wherein said external connection unit is configured to (i) determine, based on the transmission completion information, whether or not a third virtual machine among the virtual machines is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted, when said external connection unit receives, from the third virtual machine, a request for a connection to the external device, and (ii) permit a connection between the third virtual machine and the external device, when said external connection unit determines that the third virtual machine is not the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said external connection unit is configured to restrict the connection between the third virtual machine and the external device, when said external connection unit determines that the third virtual machine is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said external connection unit is further configured to (i) specify a type of data transmitted to the third virtual machine, when said external connection unit determines that the third virtual machine is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted, (ii) determine whether or not the type is a type of connection-restricted data, and (iii) restrict the connection between the third virtual machine and the external device, when said external connection unit determines that the type is the type of the connection-restricted data.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3,

wherein said communication control unit is configured to transmit, to said external connection unit, the transmission completion information including (i) an identifier assigned to the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted and (ii) a type of the data transmitted to the second virtual machine, and

said external connection unit is further configured to (i) hold a transmitted data type management table which shows, for each of transmission-completed virtual machines, an identifier assigned to the transmission-completed virtual machine and a type of data transmitted to the transmission-completed virtual machine in association with each other, the transmission-completed virtual machines being, among the virtual machines, virtual machines to each of which data is already transmitted, and (ii) update the transmitted data type management table so that the transmitted data type management table shows the identifier and the type in association with each other, the identifier and the type being included in the transmission completion information transmitted by said communication control unit.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4,

wherein said external connection unit is configured to obtain an identifier assigned to the third virtual machine, and specify the type of the data transmitted to the third virtual machine, by specifying, with reference to the transmitted data type management table, a type shown by the transmitted data type management table in association with the obtained identifier.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said communication control unit includes:

a determining unit configured to determine whether or not a type of the data obtained from the first virtual machine is a type of transmission-restricted data; and

a control unit configured to transmit the data obtained from the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, and the transmission completion information to said external connection unit, only when said determining unit determines that the type of the data obtained from the first virtual machine is not the type of the transmission-restricted data.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6,

wherein said control unit is configured to restrict the transmission of the data to the second virtual machine and the transmission of the transmission completion information to said external connection unit, when said determining unit determines that the type of the data obtained from the first virtual machine is the type of the transmission-restricted data.

8. The information processing device according to claim 7, further comprising

a type managing unit configured to set the type of the transmission-restricted data, according to a function to be used by a program to be executed by the second virtual machine,

wherein said determining unit is configured to determine whether or not the type of the data obtained from the first virtual machine is the type of the transmission-restricted data set by said type managing unit.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8,

wherein said type managing unit is further configured to (i) hold a permission type management table which shows, for each of functions, a restriction type in association with the function, (ii) obtain the function to be used by the program to be executed by the second virtual machine, (iii) specify, with reference to the permission type management table, the restriction type shown by the permission type management table in association with the obtained function, and (iv) set the specified restriction type as the type of the transmission-restricted data.

10. The information processing device according to claim 9, further comprising

a function managing unit configured to hold a function management table which shows, for each of the virtual machines, a function to be used by a program to be executed by the virtual machine and an identifier assigned to the virtual machine in association with each other,

wherein said function managing unit is configured to specify the function to be used by the program to be executed by the second virtual machine, by specifying, with reference to the function management table, a function which is shown by the function management table in association with the identifier assigned to the second virtual machine, and

said type managing unit is configured to obtain the function specified by said function managing unit.

11. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said communication control unit is further configured to (i) request a parent virtual machine to determine whether or not to permit the transmission of the data, when said communication control unit transmits the data obtained from the first virtual machine to the second virtual machine, the parent virtual machine being, among the virtual machines, a virtual machine which requests creation of the second virtual machine, and (ii) transmit the data to the second virtual machine, and the transmission completion information to said external connection unit, only when the parent virtual machine determines to permit the transmission of the data.

12. The information processing device according to claim 11, further comprising

a parent and child relationship managing unit configured to hold a parent and child relationship management table which shows, for each of the virtual machines, a child identifier assigned to the virtual machine and a parent identifier assigned to another virtual machine which requests creation of the virtual machine,

wherein said parent and child relationship managing unit is configured to specify, with reference to the parent and child relationship management table, one of the parent identifiers shown by the parent and child relationship management table in association with a corresponding one of the child identifiers that is the same as the identifier assigned to the second virtual machine, and

said communication control unit is configured to determine that one of the virtual machines to which the parent identifier specified by said parent and child relationship managing unit is assigned is the parent virtual machine, and request the parent virtual machine to make the determination.

16. A program distribution system which distributes a program via a network, said program distribution system comprising:

a distribution server which distributes at least one program; and

said information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said information processing device includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain the at least one program distributed from said distribution server,

said communication control unit is configured to transmits the data obtained from the first virtual machine, to a first program to be executed by the second virtual machine among the at least one program, and

said external connection unit is configured to receive a request for a connection to the external device from a second program to be executed by the third virtual machine among the at least one program.

13. An information processing method performed by an information processing device which has a plurality of virtual machines and processes information, said information processing method comprising:

connecting to an external device outside of the information processing device, said connecting being performed by an external connection unit included in the information processing device; and

obtaining data from a first virtual machine among the virtual machines, transmitting the data to a second virtual machine among the virtual machines, and transmitting, to the external connection unit, transmission completion information indicating that the data is already transmitted to the second virtual machine,

wherein in said connecting, it is determined, based on the transmission completion information, whether or not a third virtual machine among the virtual machines is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted, when a request for a connection to the external device is received from the third virtual machine, and a connection between the third virtual machine and the external device is permitted when it is determined that the third virtual machine is not the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted.

14. A program for an information processing device which has a plurality of virtual machines and processes information, said program, when loaded into a computer included in the information processing device, causing the computer to execute:

connecting to an external device outside of the information processing device, said connecting being performed by an external connection unit included in the information processing device; and

obtaining data from a first virtual machine among the virtual machines, transmitting the data to a second virtual machine among the virtual machines, and transmitting, to the external connection unit, transmission completion information indicating that the data is already transmitted to the second virtual machine,

wherein in said connecting, it is determined, based on the transmission completion information, whether or not a third virtual machine among the virtual machines is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted, when a request for a connection to the external device is received from the third virtual machine, and a connection between the third virtual machine and the external device is permitted when it is determined that the third virtual machine is not the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted.

15. A recording medium on which the computer program according to claim 14 is recorded.

17. A semiconductor integrated circuit having a plurality of virtual machines, said semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:

an external connection unit configured to connect to an external device outside of said semiconductor integrated circuit; and

a communication control unit configured to obtain data from a first virtual machine among the virtual machines, transmit the data to a second virtual machine among the virtual machines, and transmit, to said external connection unit, transmission completion information indicating that the data is already transmitted to the second virtual machine,

wherein said external connection unit is configured to (i) determine, based on the transmission completion information, whether or not a third virtual machine among the virtual machines is the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted, when said external connection unit receives, from the third virtual machine, a request for a connection to the external device, and (ii) permit a connection between the third virtual machine and the external device, when said external connection unit determines that the third virtual machine is not the second virtual machine to which the data is already transmitted.