System and method for scanning memory for pestware offset signatures

• US 20060236396A1
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbonite LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Webroot Software Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Horne, Jefferson Delk
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing pestware processes on a protected computer are described. In one implementation, a reference point in the executable memory that is associated with a process running in the executable memory is located. A first and second sets of information from corresponding first and second portions of the executable memory are then retrieved. The first and second portions of the executable memory are separated by a defined offset, and each of the first and second portions of the executable memory are offset from the reference point. The process is identifiable as a particular type of pestware when the first and second sets of information each include information previously found to be separated by the defined offset in other processes that are of the particular type of pestware. In some variations, the reference point is a starting address and/or an API implementation in the process.

Claims

1. A method for scanning executable memory of a protected computer for pestware comprising:

identifying at least one reference point in the executable memory of the protected computer, wherein the at least one reference point is associated with a process running in the memory of the protected computer, wherein the process is potentially a particular type of pestware;

selecting, as a function of the particular type of pestware, a first offset and a second offset;

accessing the memory at the first offset from the at least one reference point so as to identify a first set of information in the executable memory that begins at the first offset from the at least one reference point;

accessing the memory at the second offset from the at least one reference point so as to identify a second set of information in the executable memory that begins at the second offset from the at least one reference point; and

wherein the first and second sets of information are separated in the executable memory by information not included in the first and second sets of information, and wherein the process is identifiable as the particular type of pestware when the first and second sets of information each include information associated with the particular type of pestware.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying includes identifying a start address as the at least one reference point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying includes identifying a particular API implementation as the at least one reference point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the memory at the first and second offsets includes accessing executable op code at the first and second offsets so as to identify executable op code in the first and second sets of information.

5. A method for scanning executable memory of a protected system for pestware comprising:

locating a reference point in the executable memory that is associated with a process running in the executable memory;

retrieving a first set of information from a first portion of the executable memory and a second set of information from a second portion of the executable memory, wherein the first and second portions of the executable memory are separated by a defined offset, and wherein each of the first and second portions of the executable memory are offset from the reference point; and

identifying the process as a particular type of pestware when the first and second sets of information each include information previously found to be separated by the defined offset in other processes that are of the particular type of pestware.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the locating the reference point includes locating a starting address of the process.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the locating the reference point includes locating an API implementation in the process.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the retrieving includes retrieving op code from the first and second portions of the executable memory.

9. The method of claim 5 including:

scanning a file of a hard drive that is associated with the process so as to obtain information about the file, wherein the defined offset varies based upon the information about the file.

10. A system for managing pestware comprising:

a pestware removal module configured to remove pestware on a protected computer, the protected computer including at least one file storage device and an executable memory; and

a pestware detection module configured to;

locate a reference point in the executable memory that is associated with a process running in the executable memory;

retrieve a first set of information from a first portion of the executable memory and a second set of information from a second portion of the executable memory, wherein the first and second portions of the executable memory are separated by a defined offset, and wherein each of the first and second portions of the executable memory are offset from the reference point; and

identify the process as a particular type of pestware when the first and second sets of information each include information previously found to be separated by the defined offset in other processes that are of the particular type of pestware.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the pestware detection module is configured to locate a starting address as the reference point.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the pestware detection module is configured to locate an API implementation as the reference point.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the pestware detection module is configured to retrieve op code from the first and second portions of the executable memory.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the pestware detection module is configured to:

scan a file of a hard drive that is associated with the process so as to obtain information about the file, and wherein the the defined offset varies based upon the information about the file.

15. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions for scanning executable memory on a protected computer for pestware, the instructions including instructions for:

locating a reference point in the executable memory that is associated with a process running in the executable memory;

retrieving a first set of information from a first portion of the executable memory and a second set of information from a second portion of the executable memory, wherein the first and second portions of the executable memory are separated by a defined offset, and wherein each of the first and second portions of the executable memory are offset from the reference point; and

identifying the process as a particular type of pestware when the first and second sets of information each include information previously found to be separated by the defined offset in other processes that are of the particular type of pestware.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for locating the reference point include instructions for locating a starting address of the process.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for locating the reference point include instructions for locating an API implementation in the process.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for retrieving include instructions for retrieving op code from the first and second portions of the executable memory.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 including instructions for scanning a file of a hard drive that is associated with the process so as to obtain information about the file, wherein the defined offset varies based upon the information about the file.