Stack Trace Analysis for Real-Time Encoded Shellcode Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to detect and prevent malicious shellcode, particularly encoded and encrypted variants, which are difficult to identify due to their dynamic nature and use of API hashing techniques.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that hooks specific functions to analyze stack traces, generating a stack frame to identify return addresses referencing shellcode regions, and compares this code to a list of malicious signatures for real-time detection and prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional anti-virus software and intrusion detection systems are used to detect malicious code, then basic security threats can be identified, but encoded and encrypted shellcode variants cannot be detected due to their dynamic nature
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by hooking specified functions before shellcode execution and proactively generating stack traces to capture return addresses. This preliminary capture of execution context enables later analysis of encoded shellcode that hasn't yet transformed into detectable forms, resolving the contradiction by detecting threats before they can encode themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces stack traces as an intermediary mechanism between traditional detection methods and encoded shellcode. By capturing return addresses and calling conventions in stack traces, the system creates a detectable intermediate representation that bridges the gap between benign function calls and malicious encoded shellcode execution.
2Reliability
If stack trace analysis is performed on every function call to detect shellcode, then encoded shellcode can be detected, but system performance degrades due to increased processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by selectively analyzing only specific stack frames that are likely to contain shellcode indicators, rather than uniformly analyzing all function calls. By focusing analysis on frames with suspicious return addresses or calling conventions, the system maintains high detection reliability while minimizing unnecessary processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by performing stack trace analysis only when certain conditions are met (e.g., specific function calls, suspicious return address patterns). This selective approach applies detection effort only where needed, maintaining security effectiveness while reducing overall system performance impact.
3Measurement precision
If the system compares executable code to a comprehensive list of malicious signatures, then detection accuracy improves, but the comparison process becomes slower due to the large number of signatures
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the large malicious signature database into smaller, organized groups or categories. By dividing the comprehensive signature list into manageable segments, the comparison process can be optimized to search only relevant portions first, maintaining high detection precision while improving comparison speed through reduced search space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary filtering of stack trace data before signature comparison by identifying obvious indicators of shellcode (such as suspicious return addresses or calling conventions). This preliminary action reduces the volume of data requiring comprehensive signature comparison, thereby maintaining detection precision while improving comparison speed.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, storage systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention for protecting a computing device, which includes a processor and a memory and is coupled to a storage device storing a set of one or more files. In embodiments of the present invention, a call to a specified function for execution by the processor is detected, and a stack trace for the call to the specified function is generated in the memory. Upon detecting, in the stack trace, a stack frame including a return address referencing a shellcode region in the memory, wherein the shellcode region includes executable code that was not loaded from any given file on the storage device, then the referenced executable code is compared to a list of malicious shellcode. Finally, a preventive action is initiated upon detecting a match between the referenced executable code and one of malicious shellcodes in the list.