Design and Implementation Considerations for a Virtual File System Using an Inode Data Structure

Abstract: Virtual file systems are a tool to centralize and mobilize a file system that could otherwise be complex and consist of multiple hierarchies, hard disks, and more. In this paper, we discuss the design of Unix-based file systems and how this type of file system layout using inode data structures and a disk emulator can be implemented as a single-file virtual file system in Linux. We explore the ways that virtual file systems are vulnerable to security attacks and introduce straightforward solutions that can be implemented to help prevent or mitigate the consequences of such attacks.