Storage Controller Malware Permission Enforcement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Portable storage devices, such as USB flash drives, can transfer malware to host computers, leaving them susceptible to virus attacks until anti-malware protection is loaded and recognized, which takes time.
Innovation Solution
A storage device with a controller and memory that restricts access to data locations by an operating system unless permission is granted by a protection application, which communicates with the host to scan for and prevent malicious data, ensuring the host remains protected from infection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If anti-malware protection application is loaded from portable storage device to host device, then host device is protected from malware, but it takes time for the host device to recognize the protection and becomes susceptible to attacks during this period
Solution Approach 1:
The protection application is loaded into the host device's memory in advance, before the portable storage device is connected. This preliminary loading ensures that the protection mechanism is already in place and can immediately detect and block malware when the storage device is mounted, eliminating the time delay associated with loading the application after connection.
2Ease of operation
If portable storage device is connected to host device, then data accessibility is improved, but host device becomes susceptible to virus attacks and malicious data
Solution Approach 1:
A protection application acts as an intermediary layer between the host device's operating system and the portable storage device. This intermediary monitors and controls all file system operations, intercepting access requests to potentially malicious files while allowing legitimate data access to proceed normally. The intermediary can detect malware signatures and block infected files without preventing the user from accessing the storage device for data transfer.
3Reliability
If protection application restricts access to all data locations, then host device is protected from malware, but legitimate data access is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The protection application implements partial monitoring by focusing its scanning efforts on specific high-risk file system structures such as the File Allocation Table (FAT) and root directory entries, rather than scanning every single file in the storage device. This partial action approach detects malware presence in critical areas while allowing rapid access to legitimate user files, thus maintaining both security and operational convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device comprising a memory, a controller, and a host interface operative to connect with a host. The memory containing data locations access to which are controllable by a protection application which is executable on a host. When the host interface operatively coupled to a host data locations in the memory are accessible to an operating system of the host only under permission from the protection application. The controller communicates with the protection application running on the host for allowing the protection application access to data locations in the memory. Upon a host request for access to a data location, the controller determines if permission to access the requested data location is acquired from the protection application. The permission is based on determination of the protection application that the data location does not contain malicious data harmful to the host operating system, to any application and/or to any data on the host.