Hypervisor Security and Vulnerabilities

2.

The Hypervisor Attack Surface

2.1.

Understanding the Trusted Computing Base in Virtualization

2.1.1.

Definition of TCB

2.1.2.

TCB Components in Virtualized Environments

2.1.3.

Minimizing TCB Size

2.2.

Components of the Attack Surface

2.2.1.

The Hypervisor Core

2.2.1.1.

Code Complexity and Potential Flaws

2.2.1.1.1.

Attack Surface Expansion through Features

2.2.1.1.2.

Legacy Code and Technical Debt

2.2.1.2.

CPU and Memory Management Logic

2.2.1.2.1.

Privilege Escalation Risks

2.2.1.2.2.

Buffer Overflows and Memory Corruption

2.2.2.

Virtual Devices and Drivers

2.2.2.1.

Emulated I/O Devices

2.2.2.1.1.

Network Device Emulation

2.2.2.1.2.

Storage Device Emulation

2.2.2.1.3.

Graphics Device Emulation

2.2.2.1.4.

Device Emulation Vulnerabilities

2.2.2.1.5.

Device Firmware Risks

2.2.2.2.

Paravirtualized Drivers

2.2.2.2.1.

Guest-to-Host Communication Risks

2.2.2.2.2.

Driver Update and Patch Management

2.2.3.

Hypervisor Management Interfaces

2.2.3.1.

Management APIs

2.2.3.1.1.

API Authentication and Authorization

2.2.3.1.2.

API Input Validation

2.2.3.2.

Command-Line Interfaces

2.2.3.2.1.

Local CLI Access

2.2.3.2.2.

Remote CLI Access

2.2.3.2.3.

CLI Logging and Auditing

2.2.3.3.

Web-based Consoles

2.2.3.3.1.

Web Application Vulnerabilities

2.2.3.3.2.

Session Management and Security

2.2.4.

Shared Hardware Resources

2.2.4.1.

2.2.4.1.1.

L1 Cache Sharing

2.2.4.1.2.

L2 Cache Sharing

2.2.4.1.3.

L3 Cache Sharing

2.2.4.1.4.

Cache Poisoning Attacks

2.2.4.2.

2.2.4.2.1.

Bus Snooping and Eavesdropping

2.2.4.3.

I/O Peripherals

2.2.4.3.1.

Direct Device Assignment

2.2.4.3.2.

Peripheral Firmware Security

2.2.5.

Inter-VM Communication Channels

2.2.5.1.

Shared Memory Regions

2.2.5.2.

Virtual Network Interfaces

2.2.5.3.

Inter-Process Communication Mechanisms

2.2.6.

Physical Host System Components

2.2.6.1.

BIOS and UEFI Firmware

2.2.6.2.

Hardware Root of Trust

2.2.6.3.

Peripheral Device Security

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3. Major Hypervisor Vulnerabilities and Exploitation Techniques