Displaced Display Elements for Blocking Malware Input Manipulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Malware can manipulate pointer movements to access secure webpages or data repositories by injecting commands that mimic user inputs, compromising security.
Innovation Solution
Create an offset between displayed and hidden elements, such as pointers and application/page elements, making it impossible for malware to align correctly and manipulate inputs, while maintaining user interaction and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pointer properties are manipulated remotely or locally by malware to access secure webpages, then malware can infiltrate secure systems, but system security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary validation mechanism between the pointer manipulation and system access. A security module intercepts and validates pointer commands before they reach the target system, distinguishing between legitimate user inputs and malicious automated commands through analysis of command patterns, timing, and contextual consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that monitor pointer behavior and provide real-time validation. The security module continuously analyzes pointer movement patterns, click sequences, and interaction timing, comparing them against established human behavior profiles to detect and block malicious automation while allowing legitimate user interactions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If malware injects pointer movement commands to mimic user inputs, then malware can bypass authentication, but security controls become ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different validation rules and analysis methods to different aspects of pointer interaction. Specific security checks are applied to different types of operations (clicking, dragging, scrolling) based on their risk profiles, with more stringent validation for high-risk operations like form submissions and authentication actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary validation of pointer commands before executing them. The security module pre-processes and analyzes incoming pointer events, identifying and blocking malicious patterns before they can compromise security controls, while maintaining seamless operation for legitimate users.
3Reliability
If offsets are created between displayed and hidden elements, then malware alignment is disrupted, but user interaction must remain unaffected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent operates in multiple dimensions simultaneously - maintaining the visual display layer for user interaction while creating a separate validation layer for security. The offset between displayed and hidden elements exists in the coordinate space dimension, allowing the system to validate pointer targets against the hidden element positions while users interact with the visible interface without noticing the discrepancy.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for interfering with malware using displaced display elements are disclosed. In an example, a processor is configured to change a location of a displayed pointer by a first offset vector from a hidden true pointer. The processor is also configured to change a location of at least one application display element, such as a website “Submit” button, by a second offset vector from a hidden true application element. The first offset vector may have a similar magnitude as the second offset vector but an opposite direction. Changing a location of a pointer and the application element by the offsets enables a user to interact with the application normally. However, the offsets prevent malware or a malicious application from interacting with the application.