Privately performing application security analysis

• US 10,270,769 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proofpoint Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Proofpoint Incorporated
• Inventors: Jevans, David Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US15/819,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/54 by adding security routines or objects to programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17728 Reconfigurable logic blocks, e.g. lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17768 for security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity

Abstract

Systems and methods for analyzing applications on a mobile device for risk so as to maintain the privacy of the application user are provided. In the example method, the process receives a request from a mobile device. The request includes a cryptographic representation of application information for an application residing on a mobile device. The method includes comparing the cryptographic representation to an application information database that includes cryptographic representations of applications. The method also includes automatically remediating, e.g., quarantining and retiring, the application if the application matches an application that is a known risk in the database. Exemplary embodiments provide companies with controls to prevent specific applications—which have specific behaviors and are present on mobile devices being used by employees—from being used by employees, without the company having any visibility into what particular applications are being used by the employees on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating a plurality of cryptographic representations for each of a plurality of types of application information for an application residing on a mobile device, the plurality of types of application information comprising an application name and a company identifier,

each of the plurality of cryptographic representations being a composite hash of both the application name and the company identifier;

transmitting the plurality of cryptographic representations to an application risk control system; and

receiving a message from the application risk control system indicating whether the application is permitted or not permitted for a company associated with the company identifier, wherein the company is associated with a company specific whitelist and blacklist comprising composite hashes of application names and company identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of application information further comprises company information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to the application risk control system one or more application behaviors for the application without transmitting an identity of the application and without transmitting identifying information of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating an application version with the plurality of cryptographic representations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of application information comprises executable code of the application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of application information comprises a version number of the application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cryptographic representations further includes a hash value of executable code of the application, as well as a version number for the application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is one of a plurality of applications on the mobile device, the generation of the plurality of cryptographic representations, the transmission of the plurality of cryptographic representations, and the receipt of the message from the application risk control system being performed for each of the plurality of applications.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application risk control system is configured to:

receive the plurality of cryptographic representations of the plurality of types of application information for the application residing on the mobile device;

compare the plurality of cryptographic representations to an application information database and an application cryptographic table, the application information database comprising application information for a plurality of applications, the application information comprising at least one of application behaviors, application names, cryptographic representations of applications, and risk scores of applications, and the application cryptographic table comprising the cryptographic representations of applications associated with at least one of a whitelist or a blacklist; and

automatically remediate the mobile device if the application matches an application that is a known risk as determined from the comparison with the application information database and the application cryptographic table, wherein the remediating comprises at least one of quarantining the application and retiring the mobile device.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory for storing executable instructions, the instructions being executed by the processor to;

generate a cryptographic representation of application information for an application residing on a mobile device, the cryptographic representation being a composite hash of both an application name and a company identifier;

transmit the cryptographic representation to an application risk control system on a dedicated channel such that device identifying information is not exposed; and

receive a message from the application risk control system indicating whether the application is permitted or not permitted for a company associated with the company identifier, wherein the company is associated with a company specific whitelist and blacklist comprising composite hashes of application names and company identifiers.

11. The system of claim 10, the instructions being executed by the processor to further transmit to the application risk control system one or more application behaviors for the application without transmitting an identity of the application and without transmitting the device identifying information of the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 10, the instructions being executed by the processor to further associate an application version with the cryptographic representation.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the application information comprises executable code of the application.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the application information comprises a version number of the application.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the cryptographic representation includes a hash value of executable code of the application, as well as a version number for the application and a company name.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the application is one of a plurality of applications on the mobile device, the instructions being executed by the processor to evaluate each of the plurality of applications.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the application risk control system is configured to:

receive the cryptographic representation of the application information for the application residing on the mobile device;

compare the cryptographic representation to an application information database and an application cryptographic table, the application information database comprising application information for a plurality of applications, the application information for the plurality of applications comprising at least one of application behaviors, application names, cryptographic representations of applications, and risk scores of applications, and the application cryptographic table comprising the cryptographic representations of applications associated with at least one of a whitelist or a blacklist; and

automatically remediate the mobile device if the application matches an application that is a known risk as determined from the comparison with the application information database and the application cryptographic table, wherein the remediating comprises at least one of quarantining the application and retiring the mobile device.

18. A method, comprising:

generating a plurality of cryptographic representations for each of a plurality of types of application information for an application residing on a mobile device, the plurality of types of application information comprising an application name and a company identifier,

each of the plurality of cryptographic representations being a composite hash of both the application name and the company identifier;

transmitting the plurality of cryptographic representations to an application risk control system; and

receiving a message from the application risk control system indicating whether the application is permitted or not permitted to access an enterprise network with enterprise services of a company associated with the company identifier, the indication based on a risk score calculated for the application, wherein the company is associated with a company specific whitelist and blacklist comprising composite hashes of application names and company identifiers.