Method for tracking machines on a network using multivariable fingerprinting of passively available information

• US 9,332,020 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Threatmetrix Incorporated (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Threatmetrix Incorporated (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Thomas, Scott, Jones, David G, Faulkner, Alisdair
• Primary Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US13/442,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20120204262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/144 Detection or countermeasures against botnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection

Abstract

A method for tracking machines on a network of computers includes determining one or more assertions to be monitored by a first web site which is coupled to a network of computers. The method monitors traffic flowing to the web site through the network of computers and identifies the one or more assertions from the traffic coupled to the network of computers to determine a malicious host coupled to the network of computers. The method includes associating a first IP address and first hardware finger print to the assertions of the malicious host and storing information associated with the malicious host in one or more memories of a database. The method also includes identifying an unknown host from a second web site, determining a second IP address and second hardware finger print with the unknown host, and determining if the unknown host is the malicious host.

Claims

1. A method for remote tracking of machines on a network of computers, the method comprising:

determining one or more assertions to be monitored by a first web site, the first web site being coupled to a network of computers;

monitoring traffic flowing to the web site through the network of computers;

identifying the one or more assertions from the traffic coupled to the network of computers to determine a malicious host coupled to the network of computers;

associating a first IP address and first hardware fingerprint to the one or more assertions of the malicious host;

storing information associated with the IP address, hardware fingerprint, and the one or more assertions of the malicious host in one or more memories of a database;

identifying an unknown host from a second web site;

determining a second IP address and second hardware fingerprint with the unknown host; and

determining if the unknown host is a malicious host.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hardware fingerprint comprises device fingerprint.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the hardware fingerprint includes sampled attributes associated with one or more of ‘

stack ticks’

, ‘

time-skew’

, and TCP Window size.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the sampled attributes further include remote determination of one or more of ISP, Local Storage Object, first Party Browser Cookie, third Party Browser Cookie, TCP IP Address, HTTP IP Address, HTTPS IP Address, RTSP IP Address, RTP IP Address, FTP IP Address, DNS Names Server IP Address, Maximum Transmission Unit, Connection Type, Connection Speed, Bogon Hijack Address, Static/Dynamic Address, Proxy IP Address, TCP Sequence Number, Browser string, Screen Resolution, Screen DPI, PC Start Time, HTTP Header information, Local Time, Clock-Offset, Clock-Drift, PC Time Zone, Browser Plugins, Enabled and Disabled Browser functions, Browser Document Object Model, Operating System, and Listening, Open and Closed Sockets or other available or derivable information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the connecting host is protected by a proxy.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the connecting host is protected by an intermediary network device for the purposes of disguising its IP Address.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the hardware fingerprint is formed by a fingerprinting device associated with a protected host.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the hardware fingerprint is formed by a fingerprinting device that resides on a data path between the unknown host and a protected host.