Runtime Array Operation Monitoring for Memory Exploit Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current security detection techniques struggle to identify and effectively block malware that exploits memory allocation vulnerabilities, particularly zero-day threats and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), as they often evade traditional security measures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that monitors array operations in runtime environments, such as ActionScript and JavaScript virtual machines, using heuristic-based techniques to detect suspicious behavior, and generating signatures for malicious malware samples, which can be executed in an instrumented virtual machine environment to prevent exploitation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional security detection techniques are used, then the system is simple to operate, but the detection rate of memory allocation vulnerability exploits is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an instrumented virtual machine environment as an intermediary between the malware sample and the host system. This virtual machine layer monitors array operations and memory allocation activities, enabling detection of exploitation attempts without directly instrumenting the host system. The intermediary captures suspicious behaviors (such as unusual array size allocations or cookie overwrites) and triggers security responses, thereby improving detection capability while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-instrumenting the virtual machine environment with monitoring capabilities before malware execution. Security rules and detection heuristics are established in advance within the virtual machine, allowing the system to automatically detect and respond to exploitation attempts during runtime. This preliminary setup enables effective detection without requiring complex post-execution analysis or host system modifications.
2Measurement precision
If heuristic-based monitoring of array operations is implemented, then the detection rate improves, but the use of computational resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing monitoring only for specific array operations within the virtual machine environment. Instead of monitoring all system activities, the system focuses specifically on array allocation, size modification, and access patterns that are characteristic of memory exploitation attempts. This targeted approach maintains high detection rates while minimizing computational overhead by ignoring irrelevant operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors changes in array parameters (such as size, allocation patterns, and access frequencies) to detect suspicious behavior. By tracking parameter changes rather than analyzing complete operation sequences, the system achieves effective detection with reduced computational resources. The virtual machine environment efficiently captures parameter modifications and compares them against security thresholds, enabling resource-efficient anomaly detection.
Data Source
AI summary
Various techniques for detection of malware that attempt to exploit a memory allocation vulnerability are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for detecting an attempt to exploit a memory allocation vulnerability includes receiving a malware sample; monitoring an array operation performed by the malware sample using a memory monitoring component; and determining whether the array operation performed by the malware sample is suspicious. For example, an array operation, such as a vector operation performed by an application that is executed using an ActionScript virtual machine, can be monitored to detect any suspicious vector operations.