System for user-space network packet modification

• US 6,675,218 B1
• Filed: 08/14/1998
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Borella, Michael, Schuster, Guido, Mahler, Jerry, Sidhu, Ikhlaq
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US09/134,496
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 395/285, 395/500, 709/230-245, 370/229-235
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for user-space packet modification, including a set of kernel code and a user-level application programming interface (API). The system facilitates creation of a special socket for passing packets between kernel space and user space. The system in turn facilitates creation and application of a packet filter associated with the socket, in order to trap incoming or outgoing packets being processed in the kernel at a designated point in a protocol stack. Once a packet is trapped, it is moved through the socket into user space, thereby at least temporarily preventing the protocol stack from further processing the packet. In user space, an application may operate on the packet, for instance, modifying aspects of the packet or deleting the packet altogether. The system in turn facilitates injection of a packet from user space into kernel space, and into a designated point in the protocol stack for desired stack processing.

Claims

1. In a computer device of the type having a user space containing a set of application code and a kernel space containing a set of kernel stack code, the kernel stack code including a set of machine language instructions executable by a processor for processing data packets according to a protocol stack, packets being processed through the kernel space by the kernel stack code, a method comprising, in combination:

creating a PML socket;

creating a PML packet filter for the PML socket;

applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code,

copying the packet from kernel space into user space;

deleting the packet from kernel space to prevent continued processing of the packet by the kernel stack code;

operating on the packet in user space;

copying the packet from user space into kernel space; and

calling a line of the kernel stack code to cause the kernel stack code to process the packet.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code occurs after the kernel stack code has begun processing the packet.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code occurs at a location other than at the top of the kernel protocol stack.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protocol stack comprises layers of a TCP/IP protocol stack.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the packet is an outgoing packet and further comprising copying the outgoing packet from user space to kernel, whereby the step of applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code comprises applying the PML packet filter to tap the outgoing packet.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the packet is selected from the group consisting of a TCP packet and a UDP packet.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein copying the packet from the user space into the kernel space produces an copied-packet, and further comprising:

the kernel stack code processing the copied-packet according the protocol stack.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps of copying the packet from kernel space into user space and deleting the packet from kernel space occur after the kernel stack code has begun processing the packet.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of copying the packet from kernel space into user space occurs after the kernel stack code has begun processing the packet.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of deleting the packet from kernel space to prevent continued processing of the packet by the kernel stack code occurs after the kernel stack code has begun processing the packet.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of copying the packet from kernel space into user space occurs at a location other than at the top of the kernel protocol stack.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of deleting the packet from kernel space to prevent continued processing of the packet by the kernel stack code occurs at a location other than at the top of the kernel protocol stack.

13. In a computer device of the type having a user space containing a set of application code and a kernel space containing a set of kernel stack code, the kernel stack code including a set of machine language instructions executable by a processor for processing data packets according to a protocol stack, a set of computer executable software routines comprising, in combination:

machine language instructions for creating a PML socket;

machine language instructions for creating a PML packet filter for the PML socket;

machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code,

machine language instructions for copying the packet from kernel space into user space;

machine language instructions for deleting the packet from kernel space to prevent continued processing of the packet by the kernel stack code;

machine language instructions for operating on the packet in user space;

machine language instructions for copying the packet from user space into kernel space; and

machine language instructions for calling a line of the kernel stack code to cause the kernel stack code to process the packet.

14. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the protocol stack comprises layers of a TCP/IP protocol stack.

15. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the packet is an outgoing packet and further comprising machine language instructions for copying the outgoing packet from user space to kernel, whereby the machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code comprises machine language instruction for applying the PML packet filter to tap the outgoing packet.

16. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the packet is selected from the group consisting of a TCP packet and a UDP packet.

17. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein a plurality of the software routines define an application programming interface.

18. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein when executed by the processor, the set of machine language instructions for copying the packet from the user space into the kernel space produces an copied-packet, and further comprising:

a set of machine language instructions for processing the copied-packet according the protocol stack.

19. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the machine language instructions for (i) applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code, (ii) copying the packet from kernel space into user space, and (iii) deleting the packet from kernel space are executable by the processor after the kernel stack code has begun processing the packet.

20. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code comprise machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code for after the kernel stack code has begun processing the packet.

21. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the machine language instructions for copying the packet from kernel space into user space comprise the machine language instructions for copying the packet from kernel space into user space after the kernel stack code has begun processing the packet.

22. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code comprise machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code at a location other than at the top of the kernel protocol stack.

23. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code comprise machine language instructions for applying the PML packet filter to tap a packet bound for processing by the kernel stack code at a location other than at the top of the kernel protocol stack.

24. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the machine language instructions for copying the packet from kernel space into user space comprise machine language instructions for copying the packet from kernel space into user space at a location other than at the top of the kernel protocol stack.

25. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein the machine language instructions for deleting the packet from kernel space to prevent continued processing of the packet by the kernel stack code comprise machine language instructions for deleting the packet from kernel space to prevent continued processing of the packet by the kernel stack code at a location other than at the top of the kernel protocol stack.

26. A set of computer executable software routines as claimed in claim 13, wherein machine language instructions for (i) copying the packet from kernel space into user space, (ii) deleting the packet from kernel space to prevent continued processing of the packet by the kernel stack code, (iii) operating on the packet in user space, and (iv) copying the packet from user space into kernel space are maintained in a packet modification library.