US 11,537,421 B1 · Virtual machine monitor providing secure cryptographic operations

Abstract

Computer systems and methods are disclosed to implement a virtual machine monitor (VMM) that stores cryptographic keys for guest virtual machines (VMs) and securely executes cryptographic operations on the VMs' behalf using the stored cryptographic keys. The cryptographic keys are maintained in a key store that is accessible to the VMM but not accessible to the guest VMs. The cryptographic operations are executed in a manner that does not reveal the cryptographic keys to the guest VMs. In embodiments, the guest VMs may invoke the cryptographic operations via a device driver, a memory access interface, or some other mechanism. Advantageously, the guest VMs cannot obtain the cryptographic keys in their own memory space, so that the keys cannot be exfiltrated from the guest VMs. Embodiments of the VMM may be used to implement cryptographic operations such as request signing and verification, data encryption and decryption, and others.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

one or more computers comprising one or more processors and a system memory that implement a virtual machine monitor (VMM), configured to:
host at least one guest virtual machine (VM) configured to specify, via an invocation interface implemented by the guest VM, a cryptographic operation to be executed using a cryptographic key, wherein the cryptographic operation is a signing operation that signs requests issued from the guest VM with the cryptographic key, and the cryptographic key is unique to the guest VM;
implement a key store configured to store the cryptographic key, wherein the key store is a portion of the system memory accessible to the VMM but not accessible to the guest VM;
and
implement a virtual cryptographic device, configured to:
detect an invocation of the cryptographic operation by the guest VM;
responsive to the invocation, cause the cryptographic operation to be executed using the cryptographic key in the key store, wherein the execution does not reveal the cryptographic key to the guest VM;
and
provide a result of the execution of the cryptographic operation to the guest VM.

6 more elements

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing, by one or more computers comprising one or more processors and a system memory that implement a virtual machine monitor (VMM):
hosting at least one guest virtual machine (VM) configured to specify, via an invocation interface implemented by the guest VM, a cryptographic operation to be executed using a cryptographic key, wherein the cryptographic operation is a signing operation that signs requests issued from the guest VM with the cryptographic key, and the cryptographic key is unique to the guest VM;
storing the cryptographic key in a key store stored in a portion of the system memory accessible to the VMM but not accessible to the guest VM;
detecting an invocation of the cryptographic operation by the guest VM;
and
responsive to the invocation, causing the cryptographic operation to be executed using the cryptographic key, wherein the execution does not reveal the cryptographic key to the guest VM.

3 more elements

One or more non-transitory computer-accessible storage media storing program instructions that when executed on or across one or more processors of a virtualization host cause the virtualization host to implement a virtual machine monitor (VMM) to:

host at least one guest virtual machine (VM) configured to specify, via an invocation interface implemented by the guest VM, a cryptographic operation to be executed using a cryptographic key, wherein the cryptographic operation is a signing operation that signs requests issued from the guest VM with the cryptographic key, and the cryptographic key is unique to the guest VM;
store the cryptographic key in a key store stored in a portion of a system memory of the virtualization host, wherein the key store is accessible to the VMM but not accessible to the guest VM;
detect an invocation of the cryptographic operation by the guest VM;
and
responsive to the invocation, cause the cryptographic operation to be executed using the cryptographic key, wherein the execution is performed without revealing the cryptographic key to the guest VM.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Virtual machine monitor providing secure cryptographic operations

Life of this patent

Virtual machine monitor providing secure cryptographic operations

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20