Ransomware Key Extraction via Memory Dump Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ransomware attacks encrypt files, making them inaccessible without a decryption key, posing a significant challenge in restoring data without paying the ransom, as existing methods lack efficient decryption techniques.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a CPU that identifies ransomware processes, creates a memory dump, searches for candidate encryption keys, and uses a decryption engine to attempt decryption with these keys until a successful key is found, allowing for the decryption of encrypted files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ransomware encrypts files to protect data confidentiality, then data security is improved, but data accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the encryption key from the ransomware process memory and removes it from the encrypted files, allowing decryption without the original ransomware. This separates the confidentiality protection function from the accessibility restriction, resolving the contradiction between data security and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a decryption tool as an intermediary that mediates between the encrypted files and the user. This tool uses extracted keys to restore accessibility without requiring the ransomware to be present, thus maintaining security while enabling access.
2Ease of operation
If brute-force attack is used to decrypt files, then data accessibility is improved, but time consumption and computational resources worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by extracting the encryption key from the ransomware process memory before decryption is needed. This advance preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming brute-force attacks during the actual decryption process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the encryption key from the ransomware process memory and uses this copy for decryption operations. This copying approach replaces the inefficient brute-force method with a direct key-based decryption, dramatically reducing time and computational resources required.
3Loss of information
If ransomware process is allowed to run to generate encryption keys, then key availability is improved, but system security and data loss worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by creating a memory dump of the ransomware process before it completes its encryption operations. This allows key extraction without allowing the ransomware to finish its harmful work, preventing further data loss while securing the key.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent rushes through the key extraction process by directly accessing the ransomware process memory or memory dump to obtain the encryption key, rather than allowing the ransomware process to complete its full execution cycle. This skipping approach prevents further harm while obtaining the necessary key.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a system includes a central processing unit (CPU) to identify a ransomware process which encrypted a plurality of files yielding a plurality of encrypted files, in response to identifying the ransomware process, dump a memory space and a state of the CPU yielding a memory dump, and search the memory dump for a plurality of candidate encryption keys, and a decryption engine to attempt to decrypt at least one encrypted file of the plurality of encrypted files with different candidate encryption keys of the plurality of candidate encryption keys until the at least one encrypted file is successfully decrypted with one candidate encryption key of the different candidate encryption keys, and decrypt the plurality of encrypted files using the one candidate encryption key. Related apparatus and methods are also described.