I/O Redirection Engine for Emulated Application File Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current malware protection methods, such as API-proxy-based application emulators, risk corrupting the hard disk by allowing file I/O commands from emulated applications to directly access the disk, and anti-virus 'in-the-cloud' services can become ineffective during network outages, leading to significant user inconvenience and data vulnerability.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an I/O redirection engine that redirects file I/O commands from emulated applications to a private storage area, isolating them from the public storage and preventing corruption, and creating a virtualized environment for file I/O operations when the anti-virus service is unavailable to safeguard the hard disk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If file I/O commands from emulated applications are allowed to directly access the hard disk, then the emulator can fully access the computer's persistent storage component, but the hard disk becomes vulnerable to corruption or infection from potentially harmful applications
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into two distinct parts: a private storage area exclusively for emulated applications and a public storage area for normal operations. This segmentation allows the emulator to access persistent storage while isolating potentially harmful file I/O operations to the private area, preventing disk corruption in the public area.
Solution Approach 2:
An I/O redirection engine acts as an intermediary between emulated applications and the hard disk. This mediator intercepts file I/O commands from the emulator and redirects them to the private storage area, preventing direct access to the public storage area and thus protecting against disk corruption while maintaining full access functionality.
2Reliability
If anti-virus 'in-the-cloud' services are used for malware detection, then computing burden on client computers is reduced and security effectiveness is improved, but the service becomes ineffective when network connection is lost or the computer goes offline
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary malware detection and analysis actions locally on the client computer before network connectivity is needed. The I/O redirection engine and private storage area are pre-configured to handle malware detection and containment without requiring real-time network connection, ensuring security functionality remains available during network outages.
Solution Approach 2:
The client computer is equipped with self-service malware protection capabilities through the local I/O redirection engine and private storage area. The system can independently detect, contain, and analyze malware without requiring external cloud services, making the security system self-sufficient and available even when offline.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If quarantine technology is used to block potentially dangerous files, then the computer is protected from malware, but users are blocked from accessing many safe and conventional applications, causing significant user inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
Different storage areas are assigned different security qualities: the private storage area has strict access controls for emulated applications, while the public storage area maintains normal access for conventional applications. This local quality differentiation allows malware protection for emulated apps without blocking access to safe conventional applications, preserving user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is segmented into private and public areas with different access policies. The private area implements strict quarantine-like protection for emulated applications, while the public area allows free access to conventional applications. This segmentation provides targeted protection without blanket quarantine that would inconvenience users.
Data Source
AI summary
Applications running in an API-proxy-based emulator are prevented from infecting a PC's hard disk when executing file I/O commands. Such commands are redirected to an I/O redirection engine instead of going directly to the PC's normal operating system where it can potentially harm files in on the hard disk. The redirection engine executes the file I/O command using a private storage area in the hard disk that is not accessible by the PC's normal operating system. If a file that is the subject of a file I/O command from an emulated application is not in the private storage area, a copy is made from the original that is presumed to exist in the public storage area. This copy is then acted on by the command and is stored in the private storage area, which can be described as a controlled, quarantined storage space on the hard disk. In this manner the PC's (or any computing device's) hard disk is defended from potential malware that may originate from applications running in emulated environments.