Automatically determining whether malware samples are similar

• US 10,200,390 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Rostami-Hesarsorkh, Shadi, Vasudevan, Sudarshan, Rostamabadi, Farshad
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murphy, J. Brant
• Application Number:
  US15/056,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20170251003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/562 Static detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/01 Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection

Abstract

Techniques for automatically determining whether malware samples are similar are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for automatically determining whether malware samples are similar includes receiving a plurality of samples for performing automated malware analysis to generate log files based on the automated malware analysis; comparing the log files based on the automated malware analysis; determining whether any of the plurality of samples are similar based on the comparison of the log files based on the automated malware analysis; and performing an action based on determining that at least two samples are similar.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of samples for performing automated malware analysis to generate log files based on the automated malware analysis;

processing the log files to determine artifacts associated with malware, wherein a raw log file generated for each of the plurality of samples comprises one or more lines based on results of the automated malware analysis for each of the plurality of samples, and wherein processing the log files to determine artifacts associated with malware further comprises;

processing the raw log files for each of the plurality of samples to generate processed log files, wherein each of the processed log files provides a human readable format of the automated malware analysis; and

identifying distinct lines in each of the processed log files; and

comparing the processed log files based on the automated malware analysis based on a threshold comparison of a textual representation of one or more artifacts;

determining whether any of the plurality of samples are similar based on comparing the processed log files based on the automated malware analysis; and

performing an action based on determining that at least two samples are similar.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the log files are processed to extract one or more artifacts and/or one or more high-risk artifacts associated with the log files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing automated malware analysis includes performing a dynamic analysis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing automated malware analysis includes performing a static analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a first processed log file for a first sample comprises one or more lines and one or more sub-lines based on the automated malware analysis results for the first sample.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the log files to extract high-risk artifacts associated with the log files.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a first malware sample is similar to any of the plurality of samples based on the artifacts.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a plurality of samples for performing automated malware analysis to generate log files based on the automated malware analysis;

process the log files to determine artifacts associated with malware, wherein a raw log file generated for each of the plurality of samples comprises one or more lines based on results of the automated malware analysis for each of the plurality of samples, and wherein process the log files to determine artifacts associated with malware further comprises;

process the raw log files for each of the plurality of samples to generate processed log files, wherein each of the processed log files provides a human readable format of the automated malware analysis; and

identify distinct lines in each of the processed log files; and

compare the processed log files based on the automated malware analysis;

determine whether any of the plurality of samples are similar based on comparing the processed log files based on the automated malware analysis based on a threshold comparison of a textual representation of one or more artifacts; and

perform an action based on determining that at least two samples are similar; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

9. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the log files are processed to extract one or more artifacts and/or one or more high-risk artifacts associated with the log files.

10. The system recited in claim 8, wherein performing automated malware analysis includes performing a dynamic analysis.

11. The system recited in claim 8, wherein performing automated malware analysis includes performing a static analysis.

12. The system recited in claim 8, wherein a first processed log file for a first sample comprises one or more lines and one or more sub-lines based on the automated malware analysis results for the first sample.

13. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

process the log files to extract high-risk artifacts associated with the log files.

14. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a first malware sample is similar to any of the plurality of samples based on the artifacts.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a plurality of samples for performing automated malware analysis to generate log files based on the automated malware analysis;

processing the log files to determine artifacts associated with malware, wherein a raw log file generated for each of the plurality of samples comprises one or more lines based on results of the automated malware analysis for each of the plurality of samples, and wherein processing the log files to determine artifacts associated with malware further comprises;

processing the raw log files for each of the plurality of samples to generate processed log files, wherein each of the processed log files provides a human readable format of the automated malware analysis; and

identifying distinct lines in each of the processed log files; and

comparing the processed log files based on the automated malware analysis based on a threshold comparison of a textual representation of one or more artifacts;

determining whether any of the plurality of samples are similar based on comparing the processed log files based on the automated malware analysis; and

performing an action based on determining that at least two samples are similar.

16. The computer program product recited in claim 15, wherein the log files are processed to extract one or more artifacts and/or one or more high-risk artifacts associated with the log files.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 15, wherein performing automated malware analysis includes performing a dynamic analysis.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 15, wherein performing automated malware analysis includes performing a static analysis.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 15, wherein a first processed log file for a first sample comprises one or more lines and one or more sub-lines based on the automated malware analysis results for the first sample.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 15, further comprising computer instructions for:

processing the log files to extract high-risk artifacts associated with the log files.