Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Confidentiality for Multithreaded Programs via Bisimulation

  • Conference paper
Perspectives of System Informatics (PSI 2003)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2890))

Abstract

Bisimulation has been a popular foundation for characterizing the confidentiality properties of concurrent programs. However, because a variety of bisimulation definitions are available in the literature, it is often difficult to pin down the “right” definition for modeling a particular attacker. Focusing on timing- and probability-sensitive confidentiality for shared-memory multithreaded programs, we clarify the relation between different kinds of bisimulation by proving inclusion results. As a consequence, we derive the relationship between scheduler-specific, scheduler-independent, and strong confidentiality definitions. A key result justifying strong confidentiality is that it is the most accurate (largest) compositional indistinguishability-based confidentiality property that implies scheduler-independent confidentiality.

This research was supported by the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, ONR Grant N00014-01-1-0968. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations contained in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Agat, J.: Transforming out timing leaks. In: Proc. ACM Symp. on Principles of Programming Languages, January 2000, pp. 40–53 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Aldini, A.: Probabilistic information flow in a process algebra. In: Larsen, K.G., Nielsen, M. (eds.) CONCUR 2001. LNCS, vol. 2154, pp. 152–168. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Aldini, A., Bravetti, M., Gorrieri, R.: A process algebraic approach for the analysis of probabilistic non-interference. Technical Report UBLCS-2002-02, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Boudol, G., Castellani, I.: Noninterference for concurrent programs. In: Orejas, F., Spirakis, P.G., van Leeuwen, J. (eds.) ICALP 2001. LNCS, vol. 2076, pp. 382–395. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Cerans, K.: Decidability of bisimulation equivalences for parallel timer processes. In: Probst, D.K., von Bochmann, G. (eds.) CAV 1992. LNCS, vol. 663, pp. 302–315. Springer, Heidelberg (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Denning, D.E., Denning, P.J.: Certification of programs for secure information flow. Comm. of the ACM 20(7), 504–513 (1977)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Felten, E.W., Schneider, M.A.: Timing attacks on web privacy. In: ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security, pp. 25–32 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Focardi, R., Gorrieri, R.: A classification of security properties for process algebras. J. Computer Security 3(1), 5–33 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Focardi, R., Gorrieri, R., Martinelli, F.: Information flow analysis in a discretetime process algebra. In: Proc. IEEE Computer Security Foundations Workshop, July 2000, pp. 170–184 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Focardi, R., Gorrieri, R., Martinelli, F.: Real-time information flow analysis. IEEE J. Selected Areas in Communications 21(1), 20–35 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Giambiagi, P., Dam, M.: On the secure implementation of security protocols. In: Degano, P. (ed.) ESOP 2003. LNCS, vol. 2618, pp. 144–158. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  12. Goguen, J.A., Meseguer, J.: Security policies and security models. In: Proc. IEEE Symp. on Security and Privacy, April 1982, pp. 11–20 (1982)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gray III., J.W.: Probabilistic interference. In: Proc. IEEE Symp. on Security and Privacy, May 1990, pp. 170–179 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Honda, K., Yoshida, N.: A uniform type structure for secure information flow. In: Proc. ACM Symp. on Principles of Programming Languages, January 2002, pp. 81–92 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Jürjens, J.: Secure information flow for concurrent processes. In: Palamidessi, C. (ed.) CONCUR 2000. LNCS, vol. 1877, pp. 395–409. Springer, Heidelberg (2000)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  16. Kocher, P.C.: Timing attacks on implementations of Diffie-Hellman, RSA, DSS, and other systems. In: Koblitz, N. (ed.) CRYPTO 1996. LNCS, vol. 1109, pp. 104–113. Springer, Heidelberg (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kozen, D.: Language-based security. In: Kutyłowski, M., Wierzbicki, T., Pacholski, L. (eds.) MFCS 1999. LNCS, vol. 1672, pp. 284–298. Springer, Heidelberg (1999)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Larsen, K.G., Skou, A.: Bisimulation through probabilistic testing. Information and Computation 94(1), 1–28 (1991)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  19. Mantel, H.: On the composition of secure systems. In: Proc. IEEE Symp. on Security and Privacy, May 2002, pp. 81–94 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Mantel, H., Sabelfeld, A.: A unifying approach to the security of distributed and multi-threaded programs. J. Computer Security (2003) (to appear)

    Google Scholar 

  21. McCullough, D.: Specifications for multi-level security and hook-up property. In: Proc. IEEE Symp. on Security and Privacy, April 1987, pp. 161–166 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  22. McLean, J.: Security models and information flow. In: Proc. IEEE Symp. on Security and Privacy, May 1990, pp. 180–187 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  23. McLean, J.: A general theory of composition for trace sets closed under selective interleaving functions. In: Proc. IEEE Symp. on Security and Privacy, May 1994, pp. 79–93 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ryan, P., Schneider, S.: Composing and decomposing systems under security properties. In: Proc. IEEE Computer Security Foundations Workshop, March 1995, pp. 9–15 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ryan, P., Schneider, S.: Process algebra and non-interference. In: Proc. IEEE Computer Security Foundations Workshop, June 1999, pp. 214–227 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Sabelfeld, A.: The impact of synchronisation on secure information flow in concurrent programs. In: Bjørner, D., Broy, M., Zamulin, A.V. (eds.) PSI 2001. LNCS, vol. 2244, pp. 227–241. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Sabelfeld, A., Mantel, H.: Static confidentiality enforcement for distributed programs. In: Hermenegildo, M.V., Puebla, G. (eds.) SAS 2002. LNCS, vol. 2477, pp. 376–394. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  28. Sabelfeld, A., Myers, A.C.: Language-based information-flow security. IEEE J. Selected Areas in Communications 21(1), 5–19 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Sabelfeld, A., Sands, D.: Probabilistic noninterference for multi-threaded programs. In: Proc. IEEE Computer Security Foundations Workshop, July 2000, pp. 200–214 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Sabelfeld, A., Sands, D.: A per model of secure information flow in sequential programs. Higher Order and Symbolic Computation 14(1), 59–91 (2001)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  31. Schneider, F.B., Morrisett, G., Harper, R.: A language-based approach to security. In: Wilhelm, R. (ed.) Informatics: 10 Years Back, 10 Years Ahead. LNCS, vol. 2000, pp. 86–101. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  32. Schneider, S.: May testing, non-interference, and compositionality. Technical Report CSD-TR-00-02, Royal Holloway, University of London (January 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Smith, G.: A new type system for secure information flow. In: Proc. IEEE Computer Security Foundations Workshop, June 2001, pp. 115–125 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Volpano, D., Smith, G.: Verifying secrets and relative secrecy. In: Proc. ACM Symp. on Principles of Programming Languages, January 2000, pp. 268–276 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Volpano, D., Smith, G., Irvine, C.: A sound type system for secure flow analysis. J. Computer Security 4(3), 167–187 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Wang, Y.: Real-time behaviour of asynchronous agents. In: Baeten, J.C.M., Klop, J.W. (eds.) CONCUR 1990. LNCS, vol. 458, pp. 502–520. Springer, Heidelberg (1990)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Andrei Sabelfeld

Authors
  1. Andrei Sabelfeld
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Technische Universität München, Germany

    Manfred Broy

  2. A.P. Ershov Institute of Informatics Systems, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia

    Alexandre V. Zamulin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Sabelfeld, A. (2004). Confidentiality for Multithreaded Programs via Bisimulation. In: Broy, M., Zamulin, A.V. (eds) Perspectives of System Informatics. PSI 2003. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2890. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-39866-0_27

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-39866-0_27

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-20813-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-39866-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation