System and method for inhibiting interaction with malicious software

• US 7,587,676 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Hebert, Cedric R. J., Ulmer, Cedric S. P., Gomez, Laurent L. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Takele; Meseker
• Application Number:
  US10/931,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20060048225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 726/722, 726/3, 726/10, 726 22- 25, 715/705, 715741-749, 713/150, 713185-188, 713193-194, 717/100, 709/224, 709/225, 709/59
• US Class Current: 715/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software
• 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 21/57 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 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A technique for protecting against installation of malicious software includes preventing interaction with a software product when keywords in a disclaimer associated with the software product are detected. A computing device identifies keywords in a disclaimer associated with a software product. If keywords are identified, further interaction with the software is prevented by removing interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software and adding interactive content facilitating sending a request to an administrator for permission to interact with the software. The administrator determines whether interaction with the software product is permitted.

Claims

1. A computer program product for reducing risks associated with software interaction, the computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for:

identifying keywords in a disclaimer associated with a software product by searching the disclaimer for the keywords without user interaction, wherein the disclaimer includes a graphical widget to interact with the software product;

highlighting the keywords in the disclaimer that resulted from searching the disclaimer without user interaction;

removing interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product by modifying the graphical widget to prevent interaction with the software product; and

adding interactive content that facilitates sending a request for permission to interact further with the software product by modifying the graphical widget to facilitate sending the request for permission, wherein said request includes the highlighted disclaimer.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for checking a certificate associated with the software product and removing interactive content if the certificate is denied.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for checking a certificate associated with the software product, wherein said request includes the certificate if the certificate is not denied.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product includes a button in a graphical window.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the interactive content that facilitates sending a request for permission includes a button in a graphical window.

6. A method for reducing risks associated with software interaction, comprising the computer-implemented acts of:

parsing a disclaimer associated with a software product to identify keywords in the disclaimer content by searching the disclaimer for the keywords without user interaction, wherein the disclaimer includes a graphical widget to interact with the software product;

removing from a graphical display interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product if keywords are identified in the disclaimer content by modifying the graphical widget to prevent interaction with the software product; and

adding to the graphical display interactive content that facilitates sending a request for permission to further interact with the software product if keywords are identified in the disclaimer content by modifying the graphical widget to facilitate sending the request for permission.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the computer-implemented act of verifying a certificate associated with the software product.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the computer-implemented act of comparing the certificate against a database of denied certificates and removing from the graphical display all interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product if the certificate is denied.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the computer-implemented acts of comparing the certificate against a database of trusted certificates and removing from the graphical display interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product if the certificate is unverified.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the computer-implemented acts of highlighting in said graphical display keywords identified in the disclaimer content.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising the computer-implemented acts of highlighting keywords identified in the disclaimer content and including the highlighted disclaimer content in the request for permission to further interact with the software product.

12. A method for reducing risks associated with software interaction, comprising the computer-implemented acts of:

identifying keywords in a disclaimer associated with a software product by searching the disclaimer for the keywords without user interaction, wherein the disclaimer includes a graphical widget to interact with the software product;

highlighting the keywords in the disclaimer that resulted from searching the disclaimer without user interaction;

removing interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product by modifying the graphical widget to prevent interaction with the software product; and

adding interactive content that facilitates sending a request for permission to interact further with the software product by modifying the graphical widget to facilitate sending the request for permission, wherein said request includes the highlighted disclaimer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the computer-implemented act of checking a certificate associated with the software product and removing interactive content if the certificate is denied.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the computer-implemented act of checking a certificate associated with the software product, wherein said request includes the certificate if the certificate is not denied.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product includes a button in a graphical window.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the interactive content that facilitates sending a request for permission includes a button in a graphical window.

17. A computer program product for reducing risks associated with software interaction, the computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for:

parsing a disclaimer associated with a software product to identify keywords in the disclaimer content by searching the disclaimer for the keywords without user interaction, wherein the disclaimer includes a graphical widget to interact with the software product;

removing from a graphical display interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product if keywords are identified in the disclaimer content by modifying the graphical widget to prevent interaction with the software product; and

adding to the graphical display interactive content that facilitates sending a request for permission to further interact with the software product if keywords are identified in the disclaimer content by modifying the graphical widget to facilitate sending the request for permission.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for verifying a certificate associated with the software product.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for comparing the certificate against a database of denied certificates and removing from the graphical display all interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product if the certificate is denied.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for comparing the certificate against a database of trusted certificates and removing from the graphical display interactive content that facilitates interaction with the software product if the certificate is unverified.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for highlighting in said graphical display keywords identified in the disclaimer content.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising one or more software modules having executable instructions for highlighting keywords identified in the disclaimer content and including the highlighted disclaimer content in the request for permission to further interact with the software product.