Vaccination Profile Emulates Infection to Block Malware
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cybersecurity methods are inadequate in preventing infections by malicious code, particularly as new versions of malware evolve to evade signature-based detection processes, and existing approaches often require constant updates to recognize changing signatures.
Innovation Solution
A vaccination profile is created that includes vaccination artifact system calls, which emulate an existing infection on a computing device, providing a false response to malicious code attempting to infect, thereby preventing re-infection by aborting the infection process based on the assumption that the device is already infected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If signature-based detection processes are used to identify malicious code, then detection accuracy for known malware is improved, but new versions of malware can evade detection by evolving their signatures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by creating vaccination artifacts that preemptively deceive malware before actual infection occurs. The vaccination profile establishes fake infection markers in advance, so when malware attempts to infect, it encounters the pre-prepared deception rather than requiring real-time detection of new signatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The vaccination profile acts as an intermediary between the security system and malware. Instead of directly detecting malware signatures, the system uses vaccination artifacts as a mediator that intercepts malware's infection attempts and provides false information about existing infections, thereby preventing reinfection without needing to identify the specific malware version.
2Reliability
If constant updates are made to recognition signatures to keep pace with evolving malware, then detection capability is maintained, but system complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by allowing the vaccination profile to automatically adapt to new malware versions without requiring manual updates. When new malware attempts to infect, the system extracts its characteristics and automatically generates corresponding vaccination artifacts, enabling the system to service itself and maintain protection without increasing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by dynamically generating vaccination profiles based on the specific characteristics of detected malware. Instead of maintaining fixed signatures, the system adapts its protection parameters (vaccination artifacts) to match the specific malware being encountered, thereby maintaining reliability without requiring constant manual updates to a large signature database.
3Reliability
If traditional anti-malware applications are used to protect against infection, then known malware can be detected, but new or variant malware can still infect the device
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies inversion by reversing the traditional approach: instead of trying to detect and block malware, it inverts the logic by creating fake infection markers that make the system appear already infected. This causes malware to self-abort its infection attempts, providing protection against both known and new variants without requiring identification of the specific malware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the malware's own behavior into a benefit by exploiting its tendency to check for existing infections before reinfecting. By placing vaccination artifacts that simulate existing infection markers, the system turns malware's safety checks against it, causing it to voluntarily abort its harmful infection process.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a computer implemented method of vaccination of a computing device against infection by malicious code, comprising: obtaining a vaccination profile including vaccination artifact system calls indicative of a malicious code attempting to identify another instance of the malicious code executing on the computing device prior to the malicious code infecting the computing device, monitoring the computing device for an indication of execution of at least one of the vaccination artifact system calls by the malicious code, and providing a false response to the at least one of the vaccination artifact system calls for emulating an existing infection of the computing device by another instance of the malicious code according to the indication of execution of at least one of the plurality of vaccination artifact system calls, wherein the emulation of the existing infection prevents infection of the computing device by the malicious code.