KMux: Kernel Extension At The Hardware Interface

General-purpose operating system kernels are often incapable of validating communication over interfaces between its trusted code base and the untrusted application space. Context aware configurable modules loaded into kernel space can be used to validate or monitor such communication to improve security, create protection domains or analyze trends to apply heuristics against potentially harmful exchanges. In this paper we present KMux or Kernel Multiplexer, a general-purpose framework consisting of kernel modules or subkernels that utilizes x86 hardware interface to establish control over the primary kernel and enhances operating system interfaces available to user level processes. Each subkernel specializes in a limited, cohesive set of interfaces and used in conjunction with each other to exercise different granularity of control. We also discuss sample implementation of the KMux framework to create protection domains, compartmentalize resource usage and multiplex among self-sufficient kernels.

Author

• Hossain, Tareque

Language

• en

Keyword

• interposition
• multiplexing
• kernel
• sandboxing
• system call
• operating system

Date created

• 2011

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Computer Science

Degree

• M.S.

Advisor

• Parmer, Gabriel A

Committee Member(s)

• Vora, Poorvi L
• Zhang, Nan

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/fn106z095