certvimus

Certvimus is a conceptual framework for certifying the runtime integrity and configuration of software stacks in virtualized and cloud environments. It envisions collecting and cryptographically binding measurements from host, hypervisor, and guest components into an auditable attestation record, which can be verified by external verifiers against defined policies.

Etymology and status: The term certvimus is a coined combination of "certificate" and a suffix used in security literature; there is no formal standard named certvimus, and the concept is discussed chiefly in theoretical or educational contexts.

Mechanism: Each layer runs a Measurement Agent that computes cryptographic hashes of critical binaries, configurations, and runtime state. Measurements are aggregated into a measurement ledger, signed by a trusted component, and forwarded to an Attestation Authority. A Verifier checks the chain of attestations against policy, rendering a pass/fail verdict and, if needed, triggering revocation or remediation.

Architecture: The framework typically comprises a Measurement Agent at each layer (host, hypervisor, guest), a trusted Attestation Authority that issues attestations, a Verifier in the consumer environment, and a Policy Engine that defines acceptable configurations and states.

Relation to standards and practice: Certvimus is conceptually aligned with hardware-based remote attestation (TPM, SGX), DICE, and software SBOM practices. It complements existing standards by focusing on end-to-end attestation across virtualization boundaries.

Limitations: In practice, certvimus would face challenges such as performance overhead, privacy concerns over exposing runtime state, potential for policy misconfiguration, and dependence on secure hardware roots.

See also: Attestation, Remote attestation, Trusted computing, Software bill of materials, Cloud security.