Automated forensics of computer systems using behavioral intelligence

• US 9,979,739 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Networks (UK) Ltd. (Palo Alto Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Networks (UK) Ltd. (Palo Alto Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mumcuoglu, Michael, Engel, Giora, Firstenberg, Eyal
• Primary Examiner(s): Pyzocha, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/758,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/566 Dynamic detection, i.e. detection performed at run-time, e.g. emulation, suspicious activities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/121 Timestamp cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements involving time stamps H04L9/3297
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

A method for computer system forensics includes receiving an identification of at least one host computer (26) that has exhibited an anomalous behavior, in a computer network (24) comprising multiple host computers. Respective images (68) of the host computers in the network are assembled using image information collected with regard to the host computers. A comparison is made between at least one positive image of the at least one host computer, assembled using the image information collected following occurrence of the anomalous behavior, and one or more negative images assembled using the image information collected with respect to one or more of the host computers not exhibiting the anomalous behavior. Based on the comparison, a forensic indicator of the anomalous behavior is extracted from the positive and negative images.

Claims

1. A method for computer system forensics, comprising:

collecting behavioral intelligence from sensors monitoring traffic passing through network switching elements in a computer network;

based on the collected behavioral intelligence, identifying a plurality of host computers on the network that exhibited an anomalous behavior;

assembling a plurality of respective positive images of the identified plurality of host computers using image information collected with regard to a configuration of software components running on the host computers, by respective monitoring programs running on the host computers;

assembling a plurality of negative images using image information collected with respect to a plurality of host computers not currently exhibiting the anomalous behavior or collected with respect to the at least one host computer prior to the anomalous behavior;

making a comparison between the plurality of positive images and the plurality of negative images using the following criteria;

an exact match, an approximate match, or a probabilistic match;

wherein the match is between properties among the assembled positive images; and

a negative match which is between properties that exist in the assembled negative images and do not exist in the assembled positive images; and

based on the comparison, extracting from the positive and negative images a feature of the configuration of the software components that distinguishes between the positive and negative images, to serve as a forensic indicator of the anomalous behavior.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of host computers comprises mapping respective suspiciousness levels of the host computers in the network, and initiating the comparison when the suspiciousness levels meet a predefined trigger condition.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein assembling the respective positive images comprises collecting the image information from the host computers periodically.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein assembling the respective positive images comprises collecting the image information in response to identifying the plurality of host computers that exhibited the anomalous behavior.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple positive and negative images comprise at least one image taken from another host computer having characteristics similar to the at least one host computer that exhibited the anomalous behavior.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein extracting the feature comprises finding a commonality of the positive images that is absent from the negative images.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein finding the commonality comprises identifying a property that is matched exactly in all of the positive images.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein finding the commonality comprises identifying a property of one of the positive images, and generalizing the property so that all of the positive images, but not the negative images, match the generalized property.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein extracting the feature comprises identifying a property that occurs with a first probability in the positive images and occurs with a second probability, lower than the first probability, in the negative images.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein extracting the feature comprises providing an identification of at least one of a file and a directory that is associated with the anomalous behavior.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the images comprise a respective directory structure of each of the host computers, and wherein providing the identification comprises specifying a file in the directory structure that is manifest in the at least one positive image but not in the one or more negative images.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the images comprise a respective directory structure of each of the host computers, and wherein providing the identification comprises specifying a file in the directory structure that is manifest in the one or more negative images but not in the at least one positive image.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the images comprise a respective directory structure of each of the host computers, and wherein providing the identification comprises specifying a directory in the directory structure that is manifest in the at least one positive image but not in the one or more negative images.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the images comprise a respective directory structure of each of the host computers, and wherein providing the identification comprises specifying a directory in the directory structure that is manifest in the one or more negative images but not in the at least one positive image.

15. The method according to claim 1, and comprising applying the forensic indicator in checking the host computers on the network in order to inhibit further occurrence of the anomalous behavior.

16. Apparatus for computer system forensics, comprising:

an interface, configured to receive an identification, based on behavioral intelligence collected from sensors monitoring traffic passing through network switching elements in a computer network, of a plurality of computers on the network that exhibited an anomalous behavior; and

a hardware processor, which is configured to assemble a plurality of respective positive images of the identified plurality of host computers using image information collected with regard to a configuration of software components running on the host computers, by respective monitoring programs running on the host computers, to assemble a plurality of negative images using image information collected with respect to a plurality of host computers not currently exhibiting the anomalous behavior or collected with respect to the at least one host computer prior to the anomalous behavior, to make a comparison between the plurality of positive images and the plurality of negative images using the following criteria;

an exact match, an approximate match, or a probabilistic match;

wherein the match is between properties among the assembled positive images; and

a negative match which is between properties that exist in the assembled negative images and do not exist in the assembled positive images, and based on the comparison, to extract from the positive and negative images a feature of the configuration of the software components that distinguishes between the positive and negative images, to serve as a forensic indicator of the anomalous behavior.

17. A computer software product, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive an identification, based on behavioral intelligence collected from sensors monitoring traffic passing through network switching elements in a computer network, of a plurality of computers on the network that exhibited an anomalous behavior, to assemble a plurality of respective positive images of the identified plurality of host computers using image information collected with regard to a configuration of software components running on the host computers, by respective monitoring programs running on the host computers, to assemble a plurality of negative images using image information collected with respect to a plurality of host not currently exhibiting the anomalous behavior or collected with respect to the at least one host computer prior to the anomalous behavior, to make a comparison between the plurality of positive images, and the plurality of negative images using the following criteria:

an exact match, an approximate match, or a probabilistic match;

wherein the match is between properties among the assembled positive images; and

a negative match which is between properties that exist in the assembled negative images and do not exist in the assembled positive images, and based on the comparison, to extract from the positive and negative images a feature of the configuration of the software components that distinguishes between the positive and negative images, to serve as a forensic indicator of the anomalous behavior.