Malware scanning of compressed computer files
View Patent ↗A malware scanner ( 8 ) operates to scan compressed computer files ( 16 ) by compressing the malware signatures ( 17 ) using the same compression algorithm as used for the compressed computer file and then comparing the compressed malware signatures ( 18 ) with the compressed computer file directly.
1. A computer program product embodied on a tangible computer readable medium for controlling a computer to scan a compressed computer file for malware, said compressed computer file being compressed using a compression algorithm, said computer program product comprising:
comparison code operable to compare a plurality of compressed malware signatures compressed using said compression algorithm with said compressed computer file to identify malware within said compressed computer file.
2. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
detection code operable to detect from a compressed computer file to be scanned what compression algorithm has been used to compress said compressed computer file; and
compression code operable to compress a plurality of uncompressed malware signatures using said detected compression algorithm to generate said plurality of compressed malware signatures.
3. A computer program product as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said detection code reads compression algorithm specifying data from said compressed computer file.
4. A computer program product as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said compression algorithm uses Huffman coding and said compression algorithm specifying data includes a Huffman coding table used to compress said compressed computer file.
5. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said comparison code uses a Boyer Moore algorithm or an algorithm based upon structuring the signatures in a tree.
6. A computer program product as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said malware includes at least one of computer viruses, Trojans, worms, banned files and e-mails containing banned content.
7. A computer-implemented method for execution with computer code embodied on a tangible computer readable medium for scanning a compressed computer file for malware, said compressed computer file being compressed using a compression algorithm, said method comprising the step of:
comparing a plurality of compressed malware signatures compressed using said compression algorithm with said compressed computer file to identify malware within said compressed computer file.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:
detecting from a compressed computer file to be scanned what compression algorithm has been used to compress said compressed computer file; and
compressing a plurality of uncompressed malware signatures using said detected compression algorithm to generate said plurality of compressed malware signatures.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said step of detecting reads compression algorithm specifying data from said compressed computer file.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said compression algorithm uses Huffman coding and said compression algorithm specifying data includes a Huffman coding table used to compress said compressed computer file.
11. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said step of comparing uses a Boyer Moore algorithm or an algorithm based upon structuring the signatures in a tree.
12. A method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said malware includes at least one of computer viruses, Trojans, worms, banned files and e-mails containing banned content.
13. Apparatus for scanning a compressed computer file for malware, said compressed computer file being compressed using a compression algorithm, said apparatus comprising:
comparison logic operable to compare a plurality of compressed malware signatures compressed using said compression algorithm with said compressed computer file to identify malware within said compressed computer file.
14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising:
detection logic operable to detect from a compressed computer file to be scanned what compression algorithm has been used to compress said compressed computer file; and
compression logic operable to compress a plurality of uncompressed malware signatures using said detected compression algorithm to generate said plurality of compressed malware signatures.
15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said detection logic reads compression algorithm specifying data from said compressed computer file.
16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said compression algorithm uses Huffman coding and said compression algorithm specifying data includes a Huffman coding table used to compress said compressed computer file.
17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said comparison code uses a Boyer Moore algorithm or an algorithm based upon structuring the signatures in a tree.
18. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said malware includes at least one of computer viruses, Trojans, worms, banned files and e-mails containing banned content.