Media File Malicious URL Detection via Metadata Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rapid rise in online media consumption and sophisticated online attacks has made it challenging for standard anti-virus software to detect malicious content embedded within media files, particularly in formats like ASF, QuickTime, and RealMedia, which can automatically launch malicious web pages or download malware without user consent.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that employs a gateway with an anti-malware filter and URL filter database to scan media files for embedded URLs, categorize them based on malware probability, and block or strip out malicious content, using behavioral analysis and online reputation systems to prevent malicious media file execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If signature matching and heuristics are used to detect malicious files, then detection capability is improved, but processor intensity and difficulty increase exponentially with media file size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and analyzes only specific metadata elements from media files rather than examining the entire file content. The system identifies and scrutinizes particular fields such as embedded URLs, action tags, and metadata parameters that are most likely to contain malicious content, while ignoring the bulk of benign media data. This extraction approach maintains detection capability while dramatically reducing processor intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection system segments the media file analysis into distinct components: metadata extraction, URL identification, action tag analysis, and reputation checking. Each segment handles a specific aspect of malicious content detection independently, allowing parallel processing and reducing overall computational complexity compared to holistic signature matching approaches.
2Reliability
If comprehensive scanning of media files is performed to detect embedded malicious content, then security reliability is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis by first extracting only the metadata layer of media files before examining embedded content. This preliminary action identifies suspicious elements such as embedded URLs and action tags without requiring full file decryption or rendering, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining security detection capability through targeted metadata scrutiny.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements skipping mechanisms that allow the system to rapidly traverse through benign media file structures and focus computational resources only on suspicious metadata sections. When certain metadata patterns or indicators are detected, the system rushes through the analysis of those specific segments using pre-computed reputation data, rather than performing comprehensive slow analysis on all file contents.
3Ease of operation
If media files are automatically played back without verification, then user convenience is improved, but exposure to malicious content increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by automatically verifying media file metadata and embedded content before playback occurs. The verification process checks for malicious URLs, suspicious action tags, and reputation indicators in advance, blocking or warning about potentially harmful files before they can execute malicious code during automatic playback, thus preventing harmful effects while maintaining user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary verification layer between media file delivery and automatic playback. This intermediary system acts as a mediator that silently validates file metadata and embedded content against known malicious patterns and reputation databases, allowing legitimate files to pass through for convenient automatic playback while blocking malicious content before it can affect the user system.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and method to detect malicious media file are described. In one example, an apparatus including a network connection, a memory, and a programmable processor communicatively coupled to the memory is discussed. The memory can include instructions, which when executed by the programmable processor cause the apparatus to receive a data stream from the network connection and detect at least a portion of a media file within the data stream. The instructions can also cause the apparatus to determine a file type of the media file and extract the media file from the data stream. Further, the instructions cause the apparatus to parse the media file to location a suspicious tag, extract an embedded URL from the suspicious tag, determine with the embedded URL is malicious, and block the media file if the embedded URL is malicious.