Software Component Memory Randomization for Virus Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Software applications and system software without virtual memory are vulnerable to a class of computer viruses that replicate by exploiting known relative memory locations, posing a significant threat to personal computers, PDAs, mobile phones, and internet switches and routers.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing software applications into components and creating distinct copies by varying their memory locations, using pseudo-random processes to ensure different loading positions for each copy, thereby making it extremely difficult for viruses to replicate and propagate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If software applications are run without virtual memory to maintain system simplicity and performance, then system complexity is reduced and execution speed is improved, but the software becomes vulnerable to virus attacks that exploit known memory locations
Solution Approach 1:
The software application is divided into multiple loadable modules that can be loaded into different memory locations. Instead of loading the entire application at a fixed location, the system segments the application into modules that are dynamically positioned, preventing viruses from exploiting predictable memory addresses while maintaining execution efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic memory allocation where software modules are loaded at varying memory locations across different execution instances. This dynamic positioning ensures that even if a virus identifies a memory location in one instance, it cannot reliably attack the same location in subsequent instances, thus protecting against location-based virus attacks while maintaining system simplicity.
2Reliability
If distinct copies of software are created with varying component locations to prevent virus propagation, then virus resistance is improved, but the complexity of software deployment and management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal software distribution package that contains all necessary modules with embedded metadata describing their possible locations and dependencies. This single universal package can generate multiple distinct executable copies with different memory layouts, providing virus resistance without requiring manual creation and management of separate software versions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of manually creating and managing distinct software copies, the system uses automated copying mechanisms where a single source package is replicated into multiple executable instances with automatically assigned different memory locations. This automation reduces deployment complexity while maintaining the security benefits of location variation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for protecting computer systems from a virus are disclosed. For example, the present method protects against a class of computer viruses that replicate themselves by making use of the knowledge that a specific piece of software code or data component that always resides at a specific relative memory location in RAM for all instances of the software. In one embodiment, the present method divides a software application into a plurality of components and creates distinct copies of the software application by varying the locations of the components when loaded onto a computer system.