Shell Wrapper Prevents Dangerous Command Re-execution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Programmers often unintentionally re-execute dangerous commands from the shell history, leading to potential data loss, system corruption, and other severe negative impacts, especially in rushed or shared user environments.

Innovation Solution

A shell wrapper is applied to analyze the shell history and disable the re-execution of potentially dangerous commands by adding a character prefix or statement, requiring active removal to re-enable execution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the shell history allows re-execution of commands for convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of unintentional re-execution of dangerous commands increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommand re-execution convenienceVSAvoiddata loss and system corruption risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a shell wrapper as an intermediary layer between the user and the shell history. This wrapper analyzes commands before execution and can intercept potentially dangerous commands, preventing their unintentional re-execution while still allowing safe commands to pass through normally. The wrapper acts as a mediator that filters and controls command execution based on safety criteria.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The shell wrapper performs preliminary analysis of commands from shell history before they are executed. By examining commands in advance and identifying potentially dangerous ones, the system can prevent harmful re-execution before it occurs. This preliminary detection and prevention mechanism addresses the contradiction by stopping harmful actions before they can cause damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

2Reliability

If a shell wrapper is applied to analyze and block dangerous commands, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against unintentional command re-executionVSAvoidshell wrapper implementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shell wrapper is designed to be self-configuring and self-managing. It automatically analyzes commands, determines their safety, and applies appropriate blocking or allowing actions without requiring extensive manual configuration or intervention. The system serves itself by maintaining its own protection rules and adapting to different command scenarios, reducing the operational complexity despite the added reliability functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10365992B2Protecting against an unintentional re-execution of commands in a shell history

Publication Date: 2019.07.30 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for protecting against unintentional command re-execution. The method includes applying a shell wrapper to a shell history in which the shell history includes one or more commands. The method further includes analyzing each of the one or more commands in the shell history using the shell wrapper. The method further includes disabling an ability to re-execute one or more commands in the shell history based on a determination that the one or more commands in the shell history are determined to be potentially dangerous.