Control Block Baseline Comparison for Privilege Escalation Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing security testing programs fail to effectively detect privilege escalation vulnerabilities in operating system control blocks, leading to potential security breaches.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that generate safe copies of control blocks, record them in memory, test authorized services, and compare post-test states to identify vulnerabilities, initiating actions to alleviate them, while preserving the testing environment for further analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If security testing programs test authorized services thoroughly, then vulnerability detection capability is improved, but control block integrity is compromised due to undetected privilege escalation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability detection capabilityVSAvoidcontrol block integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by creating a baseline copy of the control block before security testing begins. This baseline serves as a reference point to detect any changes that occur during testing, allowing thorough vulnerability detection while maintaining control block integrity through post-test comparison.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring control block states during and after security testing. By comparing post-test control block states against the baseline, the system provides feedback on whether privilege escalation occurred, enabling detection of vulnerabilities while preserving system integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If existing security testing programs operate without control block monitoring, then testing speed is improved, but privilege escalation vulnerabilities remain undetected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetesting speedVSAvoidvulnerability detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies copying by creating a baseline replica of the control block state before testing. This copy allows rapid comparison after testing without requiring complex real-time monitoring during the test execution, thus maintaining testing speed while enabling accurate vulnerability detection through post-test state comparison.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If control blocks are monitored continuously during testing, then vulnerability detection is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability detection accuracyVSAvoidtesting system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces system complexity by performing the monitoring action in advance - creating a baseline copy of the control block before testing rather than implementing continuous complex monitoring during testing. This preliminary capture simplifies the testing system while maintaining high vulnerability detection accuracy through post-test comparison.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260073055A1Detecting privilege escalation achieved by manipulating settings

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Embodiments herein include generating a safe copy of a first control block for an operating system, recording the safe copy in memory, initiating a test of an authorized service associated with the operating system, identifying a vulnerability for the authorized service that includes comparing a state of the first control block after the test of the authorized service with the safe copy recorded in memory, and initiating an action to alleviate the identified vulnerability.