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MITRE D3FEND™ Learning Center

D3-KBPI — Kernel-based Process Isolation

Using kernel-level capabilities to isolate processes.

14Enterprise inferred
7ICS inferred
1Parent technique
1Related artifact

Isolate · D3FEND ontology 1.6.0 · Active

Open official technique ↗
Official D3FEND definition

Definition

Using kernel-level capabilities to isolate processes.

Bare Metal Cyber interpretation

Implementation perspective

Kernel-based Process Isolation should be treated as a technical defensive capability rather than a product checkbox. In practice, teams should define the protected scope, the conditions under which the technique acts, and the observable evidence that demonstrates the intended behavior. For this technique, likely engineering context includes Process.

Use the technique to create a logical or physical boundary that limits access, execution, communication, or movement.

Questions to ask

  • What is being isolated, from whom or what, and under which conditions?
  • Which flows or operations remain explicitly allowed across the boundary?
  • What happens when the isolation mechanism fails or loses policy context?
  • How is the boundary tested for alternate paths, bypasses, and unintended dependencies?

Evidence and validation

  • Architecture and data-flow diagrams showing the isolation boundary
  • Policy, rule, or configuration exports from enforcing components
  • Tests of allowed, denied, and failure-state behavior
  • Monitoring evidence for boundary violations and policy changes

Common failure patterns

  • The intended boundary has undocumented alternate paths or inherited trust relationships.
  • Rules accumulate without ownership, review, or removal of obsolete exceptions.
  • Isolation is assumed from network location while application, identity, or management paths remain open.

This implementation perspective is original Bare Metal Cyber educational content. It does not replace the official D3FEND definition or establish that a specific product implements the technique.

Ontology hierarchy

Technique hierarchy

Parent techniques

Direct child techniques

None listed at this level.

D3FEND graph relationships

Artifacts and ontology entities

These relationships describe how D3FEND connects a defensive technique to artifacts or other ontology entities. They describe graph semantics, not a product certification.

Explicit technique relationships

isolatesProcess
Show inferred artifact relationship paths (1)
Kernel-based Process IsolationisolatesProcess
Inferred and experimental

Offensive-technique relationships

These relationships are generated from D3FEND graph paths and are explicitly experimental. They should be treated as hypotheses for defensive analysis—not as proof that the technique prevents, detects, or removes an offensive behavior.

ATT&CK Enterprise (14)
ATT&CK for ICS (7)
T0806Brute Force I/OImpair Process Control
T0813Denial of ControlImpact
T0814Denial of ServiceInhibit Response Function
T0819Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationInitial Access
T0821Modify controller TaskingExecution
T0823Graphical User InterfaceExecution
T0878Alarm SuppressionInhibit Response Function
Source record

Authoritative sources