VALIDATING A TYPE OF A PERIPHERAL DEVICE

• US 20160078224A1
• Filed: 11/27/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeansonne, Jeff, Ali, Vali, Mann, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,547,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45587 Isolation or security of virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

A plurality of virtual domains are isolated from one another by a virtual machine monitor (VMM), the plurality of virtual domains including a first guest domain and a privileged domain. Peripheral related instructions are isolated from the first guest domain. The privileged domain is to cause execution of the peripheral related instructions, where the peripheral related instructions upon execution validate a type of the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a virtual machine monitor (VMM);

a plurality of virtual domains isolated from one another by the VMM, the plurality of virtual domains comprising a first guest domain and a privileged domain;

peripheral related instructions isolated from the first guest domain; and

a port to connect a peripheral device,

the privileged domain to cause execution of the peripheral related instructions, wherein the peripheral related instructions upon execution validate a type of the peripheral device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the peripheral related instructions upon execution control communication of the first guest domain with the peripheral device based on the validating of the type of the peripheral device.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the peripheral related instructions upon execution prevent communication of the first guest domain with the peripheral device responsive to the validating indicating that the type of the peripheral device does not match a specified type.

4. The computing device of claim 1, the privileged domain to generate a virtual appliance to execute the peripheral related instructions.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the port is a wired or a wireless port.

6. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a storage medium to store a blacklist of peripheral devices the first guest domain is prevented from accessing.

7. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a scanner to scan contents of the peripheral device for malicious code prior to allowing access to the peripheral device by the first guest domain, wherein the peripheral related instructions upon execution cause execution of the scanner.

8. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising an interface to select a level of access from among a plurality of levels of access that the first guest domain has to communicate with the peripheral device.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the validating of the type of the peripheral device comprises:

prompting a user to make an input on the peripheral device; and

detecting the input.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the validating of the type of the peripheral device comprises:

comparing a type of the peripheral device identified by the peripheral device with a determined type of the peripheral device.

11. A method of communicating with a peripheral device connected to a computing device, comprising:

isolating, by a virtual machine monitor (VMM) in the computing device, a plurality of virtual domains from one another, the plurality of virtual domains comprising a first guest domain and a privileged domain;

isolating peripheral related instructions from the first guest domain;

generating, by the privileged domain, a virtual appliance to execute the peripheral related instructions;

receiving, by the virtual appliance from the peripheral, a type of the peripheral device; and

validating, by the peripheral related instructions executed in the virtual appliance, the type of peripheral device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising causing, by the peripheral related instructions, scanning of contents of the peripheral device for malicious code.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting a level of access from among a plurality of levels of access that the first guest domain has to communicate with the peripheral device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein validating of the type of the peripheral device comprises:

prompting a user to make an input on the peripheral device; and

detecting the input.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein validating the type of the peripheral device comprises:

comparing a type of the peripheral device identified by the peripheral device with a determined type of the peripheral device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling, by the peripheral related instructions executed in the virtual appliance, communication of the first guest domain with the peripheral device based on the validating of the type of the peripheral device, wherein the peripheral related instructions prevent communication of the first guest domain with the peripheral device responsive to the validating indicating that the type of the peripheral device does not match a specified type.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that upon execution cause a computing device to:

isolate, by a virtual machine monitor (VMM) in the computing device, a plurality of virtual domains from one another, the plurality of virtual domains comprising a first guest domain and a privileged domain;

isolate peripheral related instructions from the first guest domain;

cause, by the privileged domain, execution of the peripheral related instructions;

receive, by the peripheral related instructions from the peripheral device, a type of the peripheral device; and

validate, by the peripheral related instructions, the type of peripheral device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions upon execution cause the computing device to control, by the peripheral related instructions, communication of the first guest domain with the peripheral device based on the validating of the type of the peripheral device, wherein the peripheral related instructions prevent communication of the first guest domain with the peripheral device responsive to the validating indicating that the type of the peripheral device does not match a specified type.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein validating of the type of the peripheral device comprises:

prompting a user to make an input on the peripheral device; and

detecting the input.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein validating the type of the peripheral device comprises:

comparing a type of the peripheral device identified by the peripheral device with a determined type of the peripheral device.