Defense-in-depth security for bytecode executables

• US 8,694,548 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Devalla, Sreenivas, Kothe, Sridhararao V., Kumar, Nakka Siva Kishore, Raju, Satyanarayana D V
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, NICHOLAS E
• Application Number:
  US13/334,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 707/698, 726/2, 726/19
• US Class Current: 707/798
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

Defense-in Depth security defines a set of graduated security tasks, each of which performs a task that must complete before another task can complete. Only when these tasks complete successfully and in the order prescribed by Defense-in-Depth security criteria is a final process allowed to execute. Through such Defense-in-Depth security measures, vulnerable software, such as bytecode, can be verified as unaltered and executed in a secure environment that prohibits unsecured access to the underlying code.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

assembling a plurality of files to include a file natively executable on a processor to perform a defense-in-depth process and a non-native executable file executable on the processor only through an interpretation process, wherein the interpretation process provides an environment in which to execute the non-native executable file;

executing the defense-in-depth process on the processor to perform a prescribed sequence of security tasks, with the launching and performance of a subsequent security task relying upon completion of a preceding security task, and failure to complete any one of which prohibits allocation of processor resources to the interpretation process; and

providing the non-native executable file to the interpretation process for execution, contingent upon completion of specific security tasks in the prescribed sequence of security tasks, to execute a target process on the processor upon which the processor resources are being allocated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the files includes:

computing a hash key for each of a set of the files; and

storing the hash key for each of the files in the natively executable file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the defense-in-depth process includes:

performing as one of the tasks;

computing the hash key for each of the files at a destination processor on which the defense-in-depth process executes; and

comparing the hash key computed at the destination with the corresponding hash key stored in the natively executable file; and

terminating the defense-in-depth process upon the comparison revealing a mismatch of any hash key.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein assembling the files includes:

including natively executable processor instructions in the set of the files that, when executed by the destination processor, executes a virtual machine as the interpretation process;

and wherein executing the defense-in-depth process includes;

instantiating the virtual machine upon the comparison revealing a match of all hash keys.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein assembling the files includes:

encrypting the non-native executable file with an encryption key; and

storing the encryption key in the natively executable file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein executing the defense-in-depth process includes:

providing the encryption key to a decryption process executing in the virtual machine; and

decrypting the non-native executable file in the virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the non-native executable file includes:

executing instructions in the non-native executable file in the virtual machine subsequent to the decryption thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein assembling the files includes:

generating text compliant with a computer programming language descriptive of the hash key for each of the set of files and the encryption key;

storing the generated text in a source code file with other text defining the defense-in-depth process; and

compiling the source code into the natively executable file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein assembling the files includes:

establishing a predetermined file structure for the files;

generating additional text compliant with the computer programming language descriptive of the file structure;

storing the additional text in the source code file; and

compiling the source code into the natively executable file.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a source memory to store a plurality of files;

a destination memory to store the files as assembled and delivered in a data package; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the destination memory and configured to;

accept the data package and store a set of the files therefrom in the destination memory;

execute a set of processor instructions of a defense-in-depth process to perform a prescribed sequence of security tasks, with the launching and performance of a subsequent security task relying upon completion of a preceding security task, and failure to complete any one of which prohibits allocation of processor resources to an interpretation process; and

provide a bytecode file to the interpretation process for execution, contingent upon completion of specific security tasks in the prescribed sequence of security tasks by the defense-in-depth process, to execute a target process on the processor upon which the processor resources are being allocated.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a source processor communicatively coupled to the source memory and configured to:

compute a hash key for each of a set of the files; and

store the hash key for each of the files in a natively executable file containing the processor instructions of the defense-in-depth process.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compute the hash key values for each of the files;

compare the computed hash key value with the corresponding hash key stored in the natively executable file; and

terminate the defense-in-depth process upon the comparison revealing a mismatch of any hash key.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the source processor is further configured to:

including processor instructions in the set of the files that, when executed by the processor, executes a virtual machine as the interpretation process; and

instantiating the virtual machine upon the comparison revealing a match of all hash keys.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the source processor is further configured to:

encrypt the byte code file with an encryption key; and

store the encryption key in the natively executable file.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide the encryption key to a decryption process executing in the virtual machine; and

decrypt the bytecode file in the virtual machine.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

execute instructions in the bytecode file in the virtual machine subsequent to the decryption thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the source processor is further configured to:

generate text compliant with a computer programming language descriptive of the hash key for each of the set of files and the encryption key;

store the generated text in a source code file with other text defining the defense-in-depth process; and

compile the source code into the natively executable file.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, are operable to cause the processor to:

accept a data package and store a set of files therefrom in a destination memory;

execute a defense-in-depth process to perform a prescribed sequence of security tasks, with the launching and performance of a subsequent security task relying upon completion of a preceding security task, and failure to complete any one of which prohibits allocation of processor resources to an interpretation process; and

provide a bytecode file to the interpretation process for execution, contingent upon completion of specific security tasks in the prescribed sequence of security tasks by the defense-in-depth process, to execute a target process on the processor upon which the processor resources are being allocated.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, and further comprising instructions operable to:

retrieve a natively executable file and an encrypted bytecode file from the set of files;

retrieve from the natively executable file an encryption key;

launch a virtual machine as the interpretation process; and

decrypt the encrypted bytecode file within the virtual machine.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to store the data package.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to:

compute a hash key for each of a set of the files from the data package;

encrypt the bytecode file with an encryption key;

generate text compliant with a computer programming language descriptive of the hash key for each of the set of the files and the encryption key;

store the generated text in a source code file with other text defining the defense-in-depth process; and

compile the source code into a natively executable file.