Solaris Trusted Extensions
| Company type | Software feature |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer software, Operating systems security |
| Predecessor | Trusted Solaris |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Parent | Sun Microsystems |
Solaris Trusted Extensions represents a collection of security improvements embedded within the Solaris 10 operating system developed by Sun Microsystems, implementing a mandatory access control framework. It is the successor to Trusted Solaris, a series of security-certified operating systems derived from earlier Solaris editions.
The Solaris 10 5/09 release has achieved Common Criteria certification at Evaluation Assurance Level EAL4+ for the CAPP, RBACPP, and LSPP protection profiles.
Overview
Features originally found in Trusted Solaris, including detailed privilege management, have been incorporated into the core Solaris 10 distribution. Beginning with Solaris 10 11/06, Solaris Trusted Extensions were introduced, providing enhanced functionality to replace Trusted Solaris without necessitating a distinct kernel modification. This development signifies a strategic integration of labeled security directly within the primary Solaris platform. Solaris Trusted Extensions is maintained as an OpenSolaris initiative.
Key enhancements encompass:
- Accounting
- Role-Based Access Control
- Auditing
- Device Allocation
- Mandatory Access Control Labeling
The Solaris Trusted Extensions framework applies mandatory access control throughout the operating system—governing access to devices, files, network resources, printing services, and window management—by assigning sensitivity labels to system objects and defining explicit permissions for read and write operations.
Furthermore, it introduces labeled security within the desktop environment, evolving from the Common Desktop Environment utilized in Trusted Solaris 8 and pioneering the first labeled environment based on GNOME. This advancement allows users to handle information across multiple classification levels seamlessly within one desktop interface.
In addition, Solaris Trusted Extensions support labeled device access and facilitate labeled network communication through the CIPSO standard, which conveys security attributes between labeled zones. Compliance with the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) underscores its appropriateness for secure enterprise environments.
- 1999 Trusted Solaris 7
- 1996 Trusted Solaris 2.5.1 - ITSEC Certified for E3 / F-B1
- 1995 Trusted Solaris 1.2 - ITSEC Certified for E3 / F-B1
- 1992 SunOS Compartmented Mode Workstation 1.0 - ITSEC Certified for E3 / F-B1
- 1990 SunOS Multilevel Security 1.0 - TCSEC Conformance (1985 Orange Book)