Decrypting network traffic on a middlebox device using a trusted execution environment
View Patent ↗Decrypting network traffic on a middlebox device using a trusted execution environment (TEE). In one embodiment, a method may include loading a kernel application inside the TEE, loading a logic application outside the TEE, intercepting, by the logic application, encrypted network traffic, forwarding, from the logic application to the kernel application, the encrypted network traffic, decrypting, at the kernel application, the encrypted network traffic, inspecting, at the kernel application, the decrypted network traffic according to a sensitivity policy to determine whether the decrypted network traffic includes sensitive data, forwarding, from the kernel application to the logic application, filtered decrypted network traffic that excludes the sensitive data, processing, at the logic application, the filtered decrypted network traffic, forwarding, from the logic application to the kernel application, the filtered decrypted network traffic after the processing by the logic application, and forwarding, from the kernel application, the encrypted network traffic.
1. A computer-implemented method for decrypting network traffic on a middlebox device using a trusted execution environment, at least a portion of the method being performed by the middlebox device comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:
(a) initializing the trusted execution environment (TEE);
(b) loading a kernel application inside the TEE and a sensitivity policy inside the TEE;
(c) sending, to a client device or a server device, attestation that the kernel application inside the TEE is authentic;
(d) receiving at the kernel application inside the TEE, from the client device or the server device, a symmetric session key of an encrypted network session between the client device and the server device;
(e) loading a logic application outside the TEE;
(f) intercepting, by the logic application, encrypted network traffic from the client device that is directed to the server device;
(g) forwarding, from the logic application outside the TEE to the kernel application inside the TEE, the encrypted network traffic;
(h) decrypting, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the encrypted network traffic using the symmetric session key;
(i) inspecting, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the decrypted network traffic according to the sensitivity policy to determine whether the decrypted network traffic includes sensitive data;
(j) in response to determining that the decrypted network traffic includes sensitive data, filtering the decrypted network traffic to exclude the sensitive data;
(k) forwarding, from the kernel application inside the TEE to the logic application outside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic;
(l) processing, at the logic application outside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic;
(m) forwarding, from the logic application outside the TEE to the kernel application inside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic after the processing by the logic application outside the TEE; and
(n) forwarding, from the kernel application inside the TEE, the encrypted network traffic to the server device.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(m.1) logging in a log, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic that was forwarded to the logic application outside the TEE;
(o) providing, from the kernel application inside the TEE, the log to the client device or to the server device; and
(p) auditing, at the client device or the server device, the log to determine an extent to which the decrypted network traffic was exposed outside the TEE.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the processing at ( 1 ) further comprises modifying the filtered decrypted network traffic; and
the logging in the log at (m.1) further comprises logging in the log the modifications made to the filtered decrypted network traffic that was forwarded to the logic application outside the TEE.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the method further comprises (m.2) encrypting, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the modified filtered decrypted network traffic; and
the encrypted network traffic forwarded at (n) includes the modified filtered decrypted network traffic that was encrypted at (m.2).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending at (c) further comprises sending, to the client device or the server device, attestation that the sensitivity policy is authentic.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(o) receiving, at the kernel application inside the TEE, an update to the sensitivity policy from the client device or the server device to modify what qualifies as sensitive data at the inspecting at (i).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the kernel application is loaded at (b) inside the TEE on the middlebox device; and
the logic application is loaded at (e) outside the TEE on a separate second middlebox device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the TEE comprises a Software Guard Extension (SGX) enclave.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the initializing at (a) of the SGX enclave comprises initializing, at the middlebox device, of the SGX enclave using an Intel® processor of the middlebox device that supports Intel® SGX instructions.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the initializing at (a) of the SGX enclave comprises initializing, at the middlebox device, of the SGX enclave using an OpenSGX simulator, or a Komodo monitor, that supports Intel® SGX instructions.
11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a middlebox device, cause the middlebox device to perform a method for decrypting network traffic on the middlebox device using a trusted execution environment, the method comprising:
(a) initializing the trusted execution environment (TEE);
(b) loading a kernel application inside the TEE and a sensitivity policy inside the TEE;
(c) sending, to a client device or a server device, attestation that the kernel application inside the TEE is authentic;
(d) receiving at the kernel application inside the TEE, from the client device or the server device, a symmetric session key of an encrypted network session between the client device and the server device;
(e) loading a logic application outside the TEE;
(f) intercepting, by the logic application, encrypted network traffic from the client device that is directed to the server device;
(g) forwarding, from the logic application outside the TEE to the kernel application inside the TEE, the encrypted network traffic;
(h) decrypting, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the encrypted network traffic using the symmetric session key;
(i) inspecting, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the decrypted network traffic according to the sensitivity policy to determine whether the decrypted network traffic includes sensitive data;
(j) in response to determining that the decrypted network traffic includes sensitive data, filtering the decrypted network traffic to exclude the sensitive data;
(k) forwarding, from the kernel application inside the TEE to the logic application outside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic;
(l) processing, at the logic application outside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic;
(m) forwarding, from the logic application outside the TEE to the kernel application inside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic after the processing by the logic application outside the TEE; and
(n) forwarding, from the kernel application inside the TEE, the encrypted network traffic to the server device.
12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
(m.1) logging in a log, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the filtered decrypted network traffic that was forwarded to the logic application outside the TEE;
(o) providing, from the kernel application inside the TEE, the log to the client device or to the server device; and
(p) auditing, at the client device or the server device, the log to determine an extent to which the decrypted network traffic was exposed outside the TEE.
13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12 , wherein:
the processing at (l) further comprises modifying the filtered decrypted network traffic; and
the logging in the log at (m.1) further comprises logging in the log the modifications made to the filtered decrypted network traffic that was forwarded to the logic application outside the TEE.
14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein:
the method further comprises (m.2) encrypting, at the kernel application inside the TEE, the modified filtered decrypted network traffic; and
the encrypted network traffic forwarded at (n) includes the modified filtered decrypted network traffic that was encrypted at (m.2).
15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the sending at (c) further comprises sending, to the client device or the server device, attestation that the sensitivity policy is authentic.
16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
(o) receiving, at the kernel application inside the TEE, an update to the sensitivity policy from the client device or the server device to modify what qualifies as sensitive data at the inspecting at (i).
17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein:
the kernel application is loaded at (b) inside the TEE on the middlebox device; and
the logic application is loaded at (e) outside the TEE on a separate second middlebox device.
18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11 , wherein the TEE comprises a Software Guard Extension (SGX) enclave.
19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein the initializing at (a) of the SGX enclave comprises initializing, at the middlebox device, of the SGX enclave using an Intel® processor of the middlebox device that supports Intel® SGX instructions.
20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 , wherein the initializing at (a) of the SGX enclave comprises initializing, at the middlebox device, of the SGX enclave using an OpenSGX simulator, or a Komodo monitor, that supports Intel® SGX instructions.