Bootstrapping trust in software defined networks

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.7-12-2017.153397

Keywords:

Integrity, Software Defined Networking, Trust, Virtual Switches

Abstract

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a novel architectural model for cloud network infrastructure, improving resource utilization, scalability and administration. SDN deployments increasingly rely on virtual switches executing on commodity operating systems with large code bases, which are prime targets for adversaries attacking the network infrastructure. We describe and implement TruSDN, a framework for bootstrapping trust in SDN infrastructure using Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX), allowing to securely deploy SDN components and protect communication between network endpoints. We introduce ephemeral flow-specific pre-shared keys and propose a novel defense against cuckoo attacks on SGX enclaves. TruSDN is secure under a powerful adversary model, with a minor performance overhead.

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Published

07-12-2017

How to Cite

Paladi, N. ., & Gehrmann, C. . (2017). Bootstrapping trust in software defined networks. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Security and Safety, 4(11), e5. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.7-12-2017.153397