Emulation Optimizer Tool for Malware Long Loop Skipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying and monitoring malware in computer infrastructure are time-consuming, costly, and lack efficiency in distinguishing potential malware before it infects systems, necessitating a faster and more accurate monitoring technique.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing an emulation optimizer tool that identifies long loops in suspected malware within a virtual environment by generating hash values and comparing them to established entries, allowing for the skipping of long loops to optimize emulation, thereby reducing the execution time and resources required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the emulation engine executes every instruction in the suspected malware to ensure accurate identification, then the reliability of malware detection is improved, but the time consumption and computational resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis by generating hash values of loop structures before full emulation execution. By comparing these hash values against a database of known malware patterns, the system can identify and skip executing long loops in advance, thus reducing overall emulation time while maintaining detection accuracy through preliminary filtering
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a mechanism to detect and skip long loops during emulation by calculating hash values of loop structures and comparing them against stored patterns. When a match is found indicating a known long loop pattern, the emulation engine skips executing those loops entirely, rushing through the time-consuming portions while still maintaining the ability to detect malware through other means
2Measurement precision
If the emulation engine processes all instructions including long loops to ensure complete analysis, then the thoroughness of malware identification is improved, but the computational burden and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary hash value calculation and pattern matching before full emulation, allowing it to identify and skip known long loop patterns. This preliminary action reduces computational burden by avoiding redundant processing of predictable loop structures while maintaining thoroughness through targeted analysis of remaining code sections
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hash values as compact representations (copies) of loop structures to compare against a database of known patterns. Instead of processing the actual long loop instructions, the system works with these simplified hash copies to identify malware patterns, significantly reducing computational resources while maintaining identification precision
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system emulates malware in isolation to ensure security, then the safety of the computer infrastructure is improved, but the time and cost for monitoring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary hash-based pattern matching on loop structures before executing full isolation emulation. This allows rapid filtering of known malware patterns through efficient hash comparison, reducing the time spent in resource-intensive isolation emulation while maintaining security through the preliminary security check
Solution Approach 2:
The system skips the time-consuming isolation emulation process for cases where hash value matching already identifies known malware patterns. By rushing through the identification phase using efficient hash comparison, the system reduces overall monitoring time while maintaining infrastructure safety through the preliminary detection mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and program product for optimizing emulation of a suspected malware. The method includes identifying, using an emulation optimizer tool, whether an instruction in a suspected malware being emulated by an emulation engine in a virtual environment signifies a long loop and, if so, generating a first hash for the loop. Further, the method includes ascertaining whether the first hash generated matches any long loop entries in a storage and, if so calculating a second hash for the long loop. Furthermore, the method includes inspecting any long loop entries ascertained to find an entry having a respective second hash matching the second hash calculated. If an entry matching the second hash calculated is found, the method further includes updating one or more states of the emulation engine, such that, execution of the long loop of the suspected malware is skipped, which optimizes emulation of the suspected malware.