Mobile Device Scanning Computing Device Non-Volatile Memory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing antivirus solutions on computing devices can be interfered with by malicious software, leading to incomplete detection and performance degradation due to resource utilization, as malicious software can intercept and alter scan results or hide infected files, and booting to a separate partition or device can render the operating system unavailable.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device is used to mount and scan the non-volatile memory of a computing device using low-level read operations, bypassing the operating system to detect malicious software without interference, thereby shifting processing load and freeing system resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If antivirus software runs on the computing device, then malicious software can be detected, but system resources are consumed and performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
A mobile device is introduced as an intermediary to perform the antivirus scanning function. The mobile device mounts the computing device's file system and executes scan commands, acting as a mediator between the user and the infected system. This transfers the resource-intensive scanning workload from the compromised computing device to the mobile device, maintaining detection capability while preserving the original system's performance.
2Reliability
If antivirus software scans files through the operating system, then file infection can be detected, but malicious software can intercept and alter scan results
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the antivirus software run within the infected operating system environment, the approach inverts the scanning architecture by having a mobile device mount and scan the file system from an external, trusted environment. This reverses the traditional client-server scanning model, allowing scans to proceed without interference from malicious software that would otherwise intercept OS-level scan requests.
3Reliability
If the computing device boots to a separate partition or device for scanning, then malicious software interference is avoided, but the operating system becomes unavailable to the user
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of completely booting to a separate scanning environment which would make the OS unavailable, the solution applies partial action by mounting only the necessary file system components on the mobile device while keeping the original system running. This allows selective scanning of specific files or directories without requiring full system unavailability, achieving sufficient scan integrity while maintaining operational continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, devices, and machine readable media for detecting malicious software on a computing device with a mobile device are provided. One method includes causing a mobile device to mount a non-volatile memory of the computing device, scanning the non-volatile memory of the computing device with the mobile device using a low-level read operations scan, collecting data on the mobile device from the low-level read operations scan, and evaluating the data collected on the mobile device for malicious software on the computing device.