Analysis of Docker Security

TL;DR

This paper analyzes Docker's security, examining its internal security features and interactions with Linux kernel security modules, and discusses strategies to enhance its security posture.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive security analysis of Docker and explores methods to improve its security by leveraging Linux kernel security features.

Findings

Docker has specific security vulnerabilities that need addressing.

Integration with Linux security modules can strengthen container security.

Recommendations for improving Docker security are discussed.

Abstract

Over the last few years, the use of virtualization technologies has increased dramatically. This makes the demand for efficient and secure virtualization solutions become more obvious. Container-based virtualization and hypervisor-based virtualization are two main types of virtualization technologies that have emerged to the market. Of these two classes, container-based virtualization is able to provide a more lightweight and efficient virtual environment, but not without security concerns. In this paper, we analyze the security level of Docker, a well-known representative of container-based approaches. The analysis considers two areas: (1) the internal security of Docker, and (2) how Docker interacts with the security features of the Linux kernel, such as SELinux and AppArmor, in order to harden the host system. Furthermore, the paper also discusses and identifies what could be done when using Docker to increase its level of security.