A Research on KVM-Based Virtualization Security

Abstract

Cloud computing is one of the most significant shifts in recent years. Cloud computing development brings the revolution to todays business models. The topic of cloud computing has become a hot topic in the ICT industry. Virtualization techniques as a symbol of cloud computing evolve fast. For example, KVM is a typical virtualization solution. However, its security issues aroused by the characteristic of open source may hinder subscriber to employ it. In order to address current security issues in KVM virtualization environment, this paper deeply analyzes KVM hypervisor and VM security problems, proposes KVM-based virtualization security framework, and discusses its related security mechanisms. Also, Linux OS built-in security mechanisms including SELinux and cgroups are discussed. By investigate Hypervisor, VM, and external management tools connection security issues, this open source-based virtualization ecosystem can be protected better than ever.