Secure Public Cloud with Protected Guest-Verified Host Control

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor to execute an untrusted host virtual machine monitor to manage execution by the processor of at least one guest virtual machine;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• wherein
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to receive an encrypted key domain key, an encrypted guest code image encrypted by a key domain key, and an encrypted guest control structure encrypted by the key domain key;
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to issue a create command to the processor to create a first key domain, the first key domain comprising a region of the memory to be encrypted by the key domain key;
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to verify the encrypted guest control structure;
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to issue a launch command to the processor to launch a first guest virtual machine within the first key domain, the first guest virtual machine to execute a guest code image comprising a decrypted version of the encrypted guest code image, the guest code image comprising interrupt handler code to intercept an interrupt;
• the interrupt handler code is to save processor register information to a protected location of the memory in response to at least one of the interrupt and an exception thrown when the first guest virtual machine causes an exit condition;
• the guest code image is to clear a first processor register if the first processor register is not needed by the untrusted host virtual machine monitor;
• the guest code image is to conditionally expose a second processor register if the second processor register is needed by the untrusted host virtual machine monitor;
• the guest code image is to invoke the untrusted host virtual machine monitor;
• and
• the first guest virtual machine is to exit when the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is invoked.

A processor to:

• execute an untrusted host virtual machine monitor to manage execution by the processor of at least one guest virtual machine;
• wherein
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to receive an encrypted key domain key, an encrypted guest code image encrypted by a key domain key, and an encrypted guest control structure encrypted by the key domain key;
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to issue a create command to the processor to create a first key domain, the first key domain comprising a region of a memory to be encrypted by the key domain key;
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to verify the encrypted guest control structure;
• the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is to issue a launch command to the processor to launch a first guest virtual machine within the first key domain, the first guest virtual machine to execute a guest code image comprising a decrypted version of the encrypted guest code image, the guest code image comprising interrupt handler code to intercept an interrupt;
• the interrupt handler code is to save processor register information to a protected location of the memory in response to at least one of the interrupt and an exception thrown when the first guest virtual machine causes an exit condition;
• the guest code image is to clear a first processor register if the first processor register is not needed by the untrusted host virtual machine monitor;
• the guest code image is to conditionally expose a second processor register if the second processor register is needed by the untrusted host virtual machine monitor;
• the guest code image is to invoke the untrusted host virtual machine monitor;
• and
• the first guest virtual machine is to exit when the untrusted host virtual machine monitor is invoked.