Program file measurements for context-specific validation

A computer comprising:

• a security processor;
• a virtual computing environment;
• a hardware processor;
• and
• a non-transitory storage medium comprising runtime protection instructions executable on the hardware processor to:
• during runtime of the virtual computing environment:
• intercept a call for an invocation of a program file that relates to a program execution in the virtual computing environment;
• obtain, for the program file prior to the invocation of the program file in response to the call, context information of the virtual computing environment, the context information comprising an identifier of a program code image for the virtual computing environment;
• compute a checksum based on the program file;
• associate the checksum with a protection value of the security processor;
• provide the checksum and the context information of the virtual computing environment to an integrity checker to perform a context-specific validation of the program file, prior to the invocation of the program file.

A method comprising:

• during runtime of a container:
• intercepting, by a runtime protection system according to a monitoring policy, a call for an invocation of a program file that relates to a program execution in the container, wherein the monitoring policy specifies that a call of a first type of program file is to be intercepted, and a call of a different second type of program file is not to be intercepted;
• obtaining, by the runtime protection system for the program file prior to the invocation of the program file in response to the call, context information of the virtual computing environment, the context information comprising an identifier of a program code image for the virtual computing environment;
• computing, by the runtime protection system, a checksum based on the program file;
• associating, by the runtime protection system, the checksum with a protection value of a security processor;
• and
• sending, from the runtime protection system, the checksum and the context information of the container to an integrity checker to perform a context-specific validation of the program file, prior to the invocation of the program file.