System and method for protecting a computer and a network from hostile downloadables

• US 6,804,780 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Finjan Holdings, Inc. (Government of ABU Dhabi)
• Original Assignee: Finjan Software Limited (Government of ABU Dhabi)
• Inventors: Touboul, Shlomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US09/539,667
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/176, 713/181, 709/223, 709/225, 709/227, 709/229, 717/168-178
• US Class Current: 713/181
• 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 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/009 Trust
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms

Abstract

A computer-based method for generating a Downloadable ID to identify a Downloadable, including obtaining a Downloadable that includes one or more references to software components required by the Downloadable, fetching at least one software component identified by the one or more references, and performing a function on the Downloadable and the fetched software components to generate a Downloadable ID. A system and a computer-readable storage medium are also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for generating a Downloadable ID to identify a Downloadable, comprising:

obtaining a Downloadable that includes one or more references to software components required to be executed by the Downloadable;

fetching at least one software component identified by the one or more references; and

performing a hashing function on the Downloadable and the fetched software components to generate a Downloadable ID.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Downloadable includes an applet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Downloadable includes an active software control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Downloadable includes a plugin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Downloadable includes HTML code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Downloadable includes an application program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said fetching includes fetching a first software component referenced by the Downloadable.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said fetching includes fetching all software components referenced by the Downloadable.

9. A system for generating a Downloadable ID to identify a Downloadable, comprising:

a communications engine for obtaining a Downloadable that includes one or more references to software components required to be executed by the Downloadable; and

an ID generator coupled to the communications engine that fetches at least one software component identified by the one or more references, and for performing a hashing function on the Downloadable and the fetched software components to generate a Downloadable ID.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the Downloadable includes an applet.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the Downloadable includes an active software control.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the Downloadable includes a plugin.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the Downloadable includes HTML code.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the Downloadable includes an application program.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the ID generator fetches a first software component referenced by the Downloadable.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the ID generator fetches all software components referenced by the Downloadable.

17. A system for generating a Downloadable ID to identify a Downloadable, comprising:

means for obtaining a Downloadable that includes one or more references to software components required to be executed by the Downloadable;

means for fetching at least one software component identified by the one or more references; and

means for performing a hashing function on the Downloadable and the fetched software components to generate a Downloadable ID.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

obtaining a Downloadable that includes one or more references to software components required to be executed by the Downloadable;

fetching at least one software component identified by the one or more references; and

performing a hashing function on the Downloadable and the fetched software components to generate a Downloadable ID.