Method for securing a DHCP server from unauthorized client attacks in a software defined network

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

• determining a count of sub-interfaces implemented on an interface card of a virtual machine;
• setting a count of unique client identifiers for the virtual machine to zero;
• determining whether a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request has been received from the virtual machine;
• in response to determining that a DHCP request has been received from the virtual machine:
• determining a current count of the unique client identifiers by incrementing the count of the unique client identifiers based on a number of client identifiers included in the DHCP request;
• determining whether the current count of the unique client identifiers exceeds the count of the sub-interfaces implemented on the interface card of the virtual machine;
• and
• in response to determining that the current count of the unique client identifiers does not exceed the count of the sub-interfaces implemented on the interface card of the virtual machine, forwarding the DHCP request to an uplink port.

A hypervisor implemented in a host computer and configured to secure a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server against unauthorized client attacks in a software defined networking environment, the hypervisor comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more memory units;
• and
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
• determining a count of sub-interfaces implemented on an interface card of a virtual machine;
• setting a count of unique client identifiers for the virtual machine to zero;
• determining whether a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) request has been received from the virtual machine;
• in response to determining that a DHCP request has been received from the virtual machine:
• determining a current count of the unique client identifiers by incrementing the count of the unique client identifiers based on a number of client identifiers included in the DHCP request
• determining whether the current count of the unique client identifiers exceeds the count of the sub-interfaces implemented on the interface card of the virtual machine;
• and
• in response to determining that the current count of the unique client identifiers does not exceed the count of the sub-interfaces implemented on the interface card of the virtual machine, forwarding the DHCP request to an uplink port.