Smaug: A TEE-Assisted Secured SQLite for Embedded Systems

Abstract

As one of the most popular relational databases for embedded devices, SQLite is lightweight to be embedded into applications without installing a specific database management system. However, simplicity and easy-to-use are double-edged swords; while bringing convenience, they also make data processing and storage risky. For example, an attacker can obtain data from a database file or memory and tamper with it once he has gained higher privileges, threatening the database's confidentiality and integrity. To address such security issues, based on a trusted execution environment (TEE) and a trusted platform module (TPM), we have proposed Smaug, a general secure scheme to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of SQLite and similar databases. With Smaug, all the critical data is stored in ciphertext, and data integrity protection is also provided. Besides, with TEE, all the sensitive operations are isolated from the untrusted environment, which can effectively resist attacks against memory. In addition, we use TPM to provide a solid root-of-trust (RoT) for the system. Finally, we have implemented a prototype system, and the performance evaluations have clarified the dominant factors that affect the system availability, providing a reference to the design and implementation of similar systems.