SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A SECURITY ASSESSMENT OF AN APPLICATION UPLOADED TO AN APPSTORE

• US 20140215614A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: BESKROVNY, Evgeny, LEV ARI, Iris
• Application Number:
  US13/753,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/23
• 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 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

A method for assessing the level of security of an application to be uploaded to an App Store, comprises: (i) Providing a security system comprising an attack dictionary relevant to a specific device, information regarding security sensitivity grades of subsystems of said device and an Identifier, suitable to recognize the API'"'"'s related to each of said subsystems and to inspect each line of the code to calculate the maximum security sensitivity grade for each information flow emanating from a given line of code; (ii) For each specific attack present in the attack dictionary, inspecting a code to determine whether the attack is attempted; and (iii) If a suspicion of attack is detected, taking corrective action.

Claims

1. A method for assessing the level of security of an application to be uploaded to an App Store, comprising:

i. Providing a security system comprising an attack dictionary relevant to a specific device, information regarding security sensitivity grades of subsystems of said device and an Identifier, suitable to recognize the API'"'"'s related to each of said subsystems and to inspect each line of the code to calculate the maximum security sensitivity grade for each information flow emanating from a given line of code;

ii. For each specific attack present in the attack dictionary, inspecting a code to determine whether the attack is attempted; and

iii. If a suspicion of attack is detected, taking corrective action.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the Identifier is suitable to inspect each line of the code and to calculate the maximum security sensitivity grade for each information flow emanating from a given line of code.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising

d) providing rules in or relating to an SDK, with which the application must comply;

e) when an application is packaged by a developer for uploading to the App Store, analyzing the software code for compliance with said rules;

f) for each rule compiling a level of suspicion or confidence based on the level of compliance of the software code with the rule; and

g) compiling a suspicion or confidence rate of the application based on the suspicious behavior, if any, identified for each rule and embedding in the application code information representative of such suspicion or confidence rate.

4. A method for preventing the distribution of applications containing malicious codes through an App Store, comprising performing the process of claim 1 and thereafter:

h) uploading the application to the App Store and analyzing the suspicion rate therein; and

i) based on the results of the analysis of the suspicion rate allowing or refusing inclusion of the application in the App Store and/or taking additional or other corrective action.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising contacting the developer of the application to obtain clarification for suspicious behavior found in the software code.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the application to be uploaded to the App Store is intended for a device selected from among smart phones, tablet PCs or Smart TV.

7. A system for distributing applications through an App Store, comprising:

i. A security system comprising an attack dictionary relevant to a specific device, information regarding security sensitivity grades of subsystems of said device and an Identifier, suitable to recognize the API'"'"'s related to each of said subsystems and to inspect each line of the code to calculate the maximum security sensitivity grade for each information flow emanating from a given line of code; and

ii. An Inspector, for inspecting a code to determine, for each specific attack present in the attack dictionary, whether the attack is attempted.

8. A security system according to claim 7, comprising:

iii. rules in or relating to an SDK, with which the application must comply;

iv. packaging and uploading circuitry for uploading an application to the App Store;

v. software analysis apparatus to analyze the software code for compliance with said rules;

vi. compilation means for compiling for each rule a level of suspicion or confidence based on the level of compliance of the software code with the rule;

vii. software for compiling a suspicion or confidence rate of the application based on the suspicious behavior, if any, identified for each rule and embedding in the application code information representative of such suspicion or confidence rate.

viii. an uploader for uploading the application to the App Store and for analyzing the suspicion rate therein; and

ix. logic circuitry for allowing or refusing inclusion of the application in the App Store based on the results of the analysis of the suspicion rate and/or for taking additional or other corrective action.