sysfilter: Automated System Call Filtering for Commodity Software

Authors: 

Nicholas DeMarinis, Kent Williams-King, Di Jin, Rodrigo Fonseca, and Vasileios P. Kemerlis, Brown University

Abstract: 

Modern OSes provide a rich set of services to applications, primarily accessible via the system call API, to support the ever growing functionality of contemporary software. However, despite the fact that applications require access to part of the system call API (to function properly), OS kernels allow full and unrestricted use of the entire system call set. This not only violates the principle of least privilege, but also enables attackers to utilize extra OS services, after seizing control of vulnerable applications, or escalate privileges further via exploiting vulnerabilities in less-stressed kernel interfaces.

To tackle this problem, we present sysfilter: a binary analysis-based framework that automatically (1) limits what OS services attackers can (ab)use, by enforcing the principle of least privilege with respect to the system call API, and (2) reduces the attack surface of the kernel, by restricting the system call set available to userland processes. We implement sysfilter for x86-64 Linux, and present a set of program analyses for constructing system call sets statically, and in a scalable, precise, and complete (safe over-approximation) manner. In addition, we evaluate our prototype in terms of correctness using 411 binaries (real-world C/C++ applications) and ≈38.5K tests to assert their functionality. Furthermore, we measure the impact of our enforcement mechanism(s), demonstrating minimal, or negligible, run-time slowdown. Lastly, we conclude with a large scale study of the system call profile of ≈30K C/C++ applications (from Debian sid), reporting insights that justify our design and can aid that of future (system call-based) policing mechanisms.

Open Access Media

USENIX is committed to Open Access to the research presented at our events. Papers and proceedings are freely available to everyone once the event begins. Any video, audio, and/or slides that are posted after the event are also free and open to everyone. Support USENIX and our commitment to Open Access.

BibTeX
@inproceedings {259737,
author = {Nicholas DeMarinis and Kent Williams-King and Di Jin and Rodrigo Fonseca and Vasileios P. Kemerlis},
title = {sysfilter: Automated System Call Filtering for Commodity Software},
booktitle = {23rd International Symposium on Research in Attacks, Intrusions and Defenses (RAID 2020)},
year = {2020},
isbn = {978-1-939133-18-2},
address = {San Sebastian},
pages = {459--474},
url = {https://www.usenix.org/conference/raid2020/presentation/demarinis},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
month = oct
}