EAL 4+ Evaluation of VMware® ESX Server 3.0.2 and VirtualCenter 2.0.2
Issued by:
Communications Security Establishment Canada
Certification Body
Canadian Common Criteria Evaluation and Certification Scheme
© 2008 Government of Canada, Communications Security Establishment Canada
Document number: |
383-4-72-CR |
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Version: |
1.1 |
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Date: |
20 May 2008 |
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Pagination: |
i to iv, 1 to 12 |
DISCLAIMER
The Information Technology (IT) product identified in this certification report, and its associated certificate, has been evaluated at an approved evaluation facility - established under the Canadian Common Criteria Evaluation and Certification Scheme (CCS) - using the Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation, Version 2.3, for conformance to the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation, Version 2.3. This certification report, and its associated certificate, apply only to the identified version and release of the product in its evaluated configuration. The evaluation has been conducted in accordance with the provisions of the CCS, and the conclusions of the evaluation facility in the evaluation report are consistent with the evidence adduced. This report, and its associated certificate, are not an endorsement of the IT product by the Communications Security Establishment Canada, or any other organization that recognizes or gives effect to this report, and its associated certificate, and no warranty for the IT product by the Communications Security Establishment Canada, or any other organization that recognizes or gives effect to this report, and its associated certificate, is either expressed or implied.
FOREWORD
The Canadian Common Criteria Evaluation and Certification Scheme (CCS) provides a third-party evaluation service for determining the trustworthiness of Information Technology (IT) security products. Evaluations are performed by a commercial Common Criteria Evaluation Facility (CCEF) under the oversight of the CCS Certification Body, which is managed by the Communications Security Establishment Canada.
A CCEF is a commercial facility that has been approved by the CCS Certification Body to perform Common Criteria evaluations; a significant requirement for such approval is accreditation to the requirements of ISO Standard 17025, General requirements for the accreditation of calibration and testing laboratories. Accreditation is performed under the Program for the Accreditation of Laboratories Canada (PALCAN), administered by the Standards Council of Canada.
The CCEF that carried out this evaluation is EWA-Canada located in Ottawa, Ontario.
By awarding a Common Criteria certificate, the CCS Certification Body asserts that the product complies with the security requirements specified in the associated security target. A security target is a requirements specification document that defines the scope of the evaluation activities. The consumer of certified IT products should review the security target, in addition to this certification report, in order to gain an understanding of any assumptions made during the evaluation, the IT product's intended environment, its security requirements, and the level of confidence (i.e., the evaluation assurance level) that the product satisfies the security requirements.
This certification report is associated with the certificate of product evaluation dated 23 May 2008, and the security target identified in Section 4 of this report.
The certification report, certificate of product evaluation and security target are posted on the CCS Certified Products list at: http://www.cse-cst.gc.ca/its-sti/services/cc/cp-pc-eng.html and http://www.commoncriteriaportal.org/
This certification report makes reference to the following trademarked or registered trademarks:
Reproduction of this report is authorized provided the report is reproduced in its entirety.
Disclaimer
Foreword
Executive Summary
1 Identification of Target of Evaluation
2 TOE Description
3 Evaluated Security Functionality
4 Security Target
5 Common Criteria Conformance
6 Security Policy
7 Assumptions and Clarification of Scope
7.1 SECURE USAGE ASSUMPTIONS
7.2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS
7.3 CLARIFICATION OF SCOPE
8 Architectural Information
9 Evaluated Configuration
10 Documentation
11 Evaluation Analysis Activities
12 ITS Product Testing
12.1 ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPER TESTS
12.2 INDEPENDENT FUNCTIONAL TESTING
12.3 INDEPENDENT PENETRATION TESTING
12.4 CONDUCT OF TESTING
12.5 TESTING RESULTS
13 Results of the Evaluation
14 Evaluator Comments, Observations
and Recommendations
15 Acronyms, Abbreviations and Initializations
16 References
Executive Summary
The VMware® ESX Server 3.0.2 and VirtualCenter 2.0.2, from VMware®, Inc., (hereafter referred to as VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter), is the Target of Evaluation (TOE) for this Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4 augmented evaluation.
VMware® ESX Server is the foundation for dynamic, self-optimizing IT infrastructure. ESX Server is a virtualization layer that abstracts processor, memory, storage and networking resources into multiple virtual machines. ESX Server allows IT organizations to increase hardware utilization and decrease capital and operating cost by sharing hardware resources across a large number of virtual machines that run side-by-side on the same server.
VMware® VirtualCenter delivers centralized management, operational automation, resource optimization and high availability to IT environments providing the data center with increased levels of responsiveness, serviceability, efficiency and reliability.
EWA-Canada is the Common Criteria Evaluation Facility that conducted the evaluation. This evaluation was completed on 2 May 2008 and was carried out in accordance with the rules of the Canadian Common Criteria Evaluation and Certification Scheme (CCS).
The scope of the evaluation is defined by the security target, which identifies assumptions made during the evaluation, the intended environment for the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter, the security requirements, and the level of confidence (evaluation assurance level) at which the product is intended to satisfy the security requirements. Consumers are advised to verify that their operating environment is consistent with the security target, and to give due consideration to the comments, observations and recommendations in this certification report.
The results documented in the Evaluation Technical Report (ETR)1 for this product provide sufficient evidence that it meets the EAL 4 augmented assurance requirements for the evaluated security functionality. The evaluation was conducted using the Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation, Version 2.3 (with applicable final interpretations), for conformance to the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation, version 2.3. The following augmentation is claimed:
Communications Security Establishment Canada, as the CCS Certification Body, declares that the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter evaluation meets all the conditions of the Arrangement on the Recognition of Common Criteria Certificates and that the product will be listed on the CCS Certified Products list (CPL) and the Common Criteria portal (the official website of the Common Criteria Project).
The Target of Evaluation (TOE) for this Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4 augmented evaluation is the VMware® ESX Server 3.0.2 and VirtualCenter 2.0.2 (hereafter referred to as VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter), from VMware®, Inc.
The TOE comprises the main systems VMware® ESX Server 3.0.2 and VMware® VirtualCenter 2.0.2.
VMware® ESX Server is the foundation for dynamic, self-optimizing IT infrastructure. ESX Server is a virtualization layer that abstracts processor, memory, storage and networking resources into multiple virtual machines. ESX Server allows IT organizations to increase hardware utilization and decrease capital and operating cost by sharing hardware resources across a large number of virtual machines that run side-by-side on the same server.
VMware® VirtualCenter delivers centralized management, operational automation, resource optimization and high availability to IT environments providing the data center with increased . levels of responsiveness, serviceability, efficiency and reliability.
The complete list of evaluated security functionality for the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter is identified in Section 5 of the Security Target (ST).
The ST associated with this Certification Report is identified by the following nomenclature:
The evaluation was conducted using the Common Methodology for Information Technology Security Evaluation, Version 2.3, for conformance to the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation, Version 2.3.
The VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter is:
The VMware® VirtualCenter implements a role-based access control policy, VirtualCenter Access Control Policy, to control user access to the Virtual Center. The VMware® ESX Server implements a role-based access control policy, ESX Server Access Control Policy, to control user access to the ESX Server. Details of these security policies can be found in Section 5 of the ST.
In addition, the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter implements other policies pertaining to security audit, identification and authentication, virtual machine domain separation, TSF Invocation and Isolation and Data Transfer Protection. Further details on these security policies may be found in Section 5 of the ST.
Consumers of the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter product should consider assumptions about usage and environmental settings as requirements for the product's installation and its operating environment. This will ensure the proper and secure operation of the TOE.
The following Secure Usage Assumption is listed in the ST:
The following Environmental Assumption is listed in the ST:
For more information about the TOE security environment, refer to Section 3 of the ST (TOE Security Environment).
The claims of the TOE are relevant to the management, separation, isolation, and protection of the virtual machine structures, and not of the functionality and actions that take place within a virtual machine.
VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter comprises two components: VMware® ESX Server; and VMware® VirtualCenter.
VMware® ESX Server is a virtualization layer that runs directly on standard x86 compatible hardware, allowing multiple virtual machines to be hosted on one physical server. VMware® ESX Server comprises the subsystems:
ESX subsystem. Through the ESX subsystem, users can provision and manage virtual machines. The subsystem provides the hardware virtualization to support an idealized physical machine that is isolated from other virtual machines. It provides the virtual devices, including virtualized CPU, memory, I/O busses, network interfaces, storage adapters and human interface devices.
ESX CLI subsystem. This subsystem provides a command line interface allowing administrators the ability to perform low-level configuration of the VMware® ESX Server. This interface is intended to be used for initial installation and configuration and for troubleshooting.
ESX Secure Web subsystem. This subsystem provides a web interface to the VMware® ESX Server.
VMware® VirtualCenter acts as a management console, deploying, monitoring, and managing virtual machines that are distributed across multiple hosts running VMware® ESX Server. VMware® VirtualCenter also manages supporting virtual infrastructure features such as resources pools, high-availability, disaster recovery and consolidated backup. VMware® VirtualCenter comprises the subsystems:
VirtualCenter Management Subsystem. This subsystem authenticates users and authorizes user actions. It manages inventory items, scheduled tasks, events and templates, groupings of ESX servers and individual virtual machines, and VMware® VirtualCenter users and groups.
VirtualCenter database. The database stores information about the configuration and status of VMware® ESX Server hosts and each of the host's virtual machines, user, group and object permissions, management information for the VMware® ESX Server, performance data and all events (audit data) that occur in the VMware® VirtualCenter environment.
Virtual Infrastructure Client Subsystem. This subsystem provides the interface to the VMware® VirtualCenter. It can connect to any other VMware® VirtualCenter or VMware® ESX Server.
VirtualCenter Secure Web. This subsystem provides web access to VMware® VirtualCenter.
Further details about the system architecture are proprietary to the vendor, and are not provided in this report.
The evaluated configuration for VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter comprises:
The VMware®, Inc. documents provided to the consumer are as follows:
The evaluation analysis activities involved a structured evaluation of the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter, including the following areas:
Configuration management: An analysis of the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter configuration management system and associated documentation was performed. The evaluators found that the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter configuration items were clearly marked, and could be modified and controlled. The developer's configuration management system was observed during a site visit, and it was found to be mature and well developed.
Secure delivery and operation: The evaluators examined the delivery documentation and determined that it described all of the procedures required to maintain the integrity of the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter during distribution to the consumer. The evaluators examined and tested the installation, generation and start-up procedures, and determined that they were complete and sufficiently detailed to result in a secure configuration.
Design documentation: The evaluators analysed the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter functional specification, high-level design, low-level design, and a subset of the implementation representation; they determined that the documents were internally consistent, and completely and accurately instantiated all interfaces and security functions. The evaluators also independently verified that the correspondence mappings between the design documents were correct.
Guidance documents: The evaluators examined the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter user and administrator guidance documentation and determined that it sufficiently and unambiguously described how to securely use and administer the product, and that it was consistent with the other documents supplied for evaluation.
Life-cycle support: The evaluators examined the development security procedures during a site visit and determined that they detailed sufficient security measures for the development environment to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter design and implementation. The evaluators determined that the developer has used a documented model of the TOE life-cycle and well-defined development tools that yield consistent and predictable results.
The evaluators reviewed the flaw remediation procedures used by VMware®, Inc. for the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter. During a site visit, the evaluators also examined the evidence generated by adherence to the procedures. The evaluators concluded that the procedures are adequate to track and correct security flaws, and distribute the flaw information and corrections to consumers of the product.
Vulnerability assessment: The VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter ST's strength of function claims were validated through independent evaluator analysis. The evaluators examined the developer's vulnerability analysis for the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter and found that it sufficiently described each of the potential vulnerabilities along with a sound rationale as to why it was not exploitable in the intended environment. Additionally, the evaluators conducted an independent review of public domain vulnerability databases, and all evaluation deliverables to provide assurance that the developer has considered all potential vulnerabilities.
All these evaluation activities resulted in PASS verdicts.
Testing at EAL 4 consists of the following three steps: assessing developer tests, performing independent functional tests, and performing penetration tests.
The evaluators verified that the developer has met their testing responsibilities by examining their test evidence, and reviewing their test results, as documented in the ETR2.
VMware®, Inc. employs a rigorous testing process that tests the changes and fixes in each release of the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter. Comprehensive regression testing is conducted for all releases.
The evaluators analyzed the developer's test coverage and depth analysis and found them to be complete and accurate. The correspondence between the tests identified in the developer's test documentation and the functional specification was complete.
During this evaluation, the evaluator developed independent functional tests by examining design and guidance documentation, examining the developer's test documentation, executing a sample of the developer's test cases, and creating test cases that augmented the developer tests.
All testing was planned and documented to a sufficient level of detail to allow repeatability of the testing procedures and results. These tests focused on:
Subsequent to the examination of the developer's vulnerability analysis, independent vulnerability analysis, and the independent review of public domain vulnerability databases and all evaluation deliverables, limited independent evaluator penetration testing was conducted. The penetration tests focused on:
The evaluator conducted a port scan of the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter. Only the ports required for operation of the TOE were found to be open. The evaluator used a publicly available tool to scan the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter for generic vulnerabilities, and none were found. In addition, the evaluator performed direct attacks on the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter, attempting to bypass or break the TOE's access control security mechanisms.
The independent penetration testing did not uncover any exploitable vulnerabilities for the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter in the anticipated operating environment.
The VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter was subjected to a comprehensive suite of formally documented, independent functional and penetration tests. The testing took place at the Information Technology Security Evaluation and Test (ITSET) Facility at EWA-Canada. The CCS Certification Body witnessed a portion of the independent testing. The detailed testing activities, including configurations, procedures, test cases, expected results and observed results are documented in a separate Test Results document.
The developer's tests and the independent functional tests yielded the expected results, giving assurance that the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter behaves as specified in its ST and functional specification.
This evaluation has provided the basis for an EAL 4 augmented level of assurance. The overall verdict for the evaluation is PASS. These results are supported by evidence in the ETR.
The complete documentation for the VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter includes a comprehensive Installation and Security Guide and a Users Guide.
The VMware® ESX Server and VirtualCenter is straightforward to configure, use and integrate into a corporate network.
Configuration Management (CM) and Quality Assurance (QA) provide the requisite controls for managing all CM/QA activities.
| Acronym/Abbreviation/ Initialization | Description |
| CCEF | Common Criteria Evaluation Facility |
| CCS | Canadian Common Criteria Evaluation and Certification Scheme |
| CPL | Certified Products list |
| CM | Configuration Management |
| CVE | Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures |
| EAL | Evaluation Assurance Level |
| ETR | Evaluation Technical Report |
| IT | Information Technology |
| ITSET | Information Technology Security Evaluation and Testing |
| PALCAN | Program for the Accreditation of Laboratories Canada |
| QA | Quality Assurance |
| SFP | Security Function Policy |
| ST | Security Target |
| TOE | Target of Evaluation |
| TSF | TOE Security Function |
This section lists all documentation used as source material for this report:
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1 The ETR is a CCS document that contains information proprietary to the developer and/or the evaluator, and is not releasable for public review.
2 The ETR is a CCS document that contains information proprietary to the developer and/or the evaluator, and is not releasable for public review.
