Method and system for handling keystroke commands
Keystroke commands are safeguarded from keyboard logging malware based on a destination application's memory address.
1 . A method for handling keystroke commands, the method comprising:
monitoring keystroke commands being presented to a computer system; and
handling keystroke commands based on a memory address attributed to an application to which the keystroke commands are being directed.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the keystroke commands comprise logon credentials.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the logon credentials facilitate automation of a logon procedure.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the automation of the logon procedure comprises injecting user credentials into a form.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the keystroke commands further comprises intercepting messages in a message queue.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of providing a client agent for intercepting the messages.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the client agent intercepts the messages by hooking into the message queue.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the client agent hooks into the message queue by substituting a wrapper function in the place of a callback function.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the client agent processes the keystroke commands based at least in part on how they are handled.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the client agent calls the callback function based at least in part on how the keystroke commands are handled.
11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the client agent bypasses the callback function based at least in part on how the keystroke commands are handled.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein bypassing the callback function results in blocking an operating system from processing the keystroke commands.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein handling keystroke commands results in safeguarding keystroke commands from malware.
14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining if the application to which the keystroke commands are being directed is an authorized application.
15 . A client-resident agent for handling keystroke commands entered via an input device and directed to a running application associated with a memory having a plurality of addresses, the agent comprising functionality for:
monitoring the keystroke commands; and
handling the keystroke commands based on a memory address associated with the application.
16 . The client-resident agent of claim 15 , wherein the keystroke commands comprise logon credentials.
17 . The client-resident agent of claim 16 , wherein the client-resident agent further comprises functionality for automating a logon procedure.
18 . The client-resident agent of claim 17 , wherein the client-resident agent automates the logon procedure by injecting user credentials into a form.
19 . The client-resident agent of claim 15 , wherein the client-resident agent monitors the keystroke commands by intercepting messages in a message queue.
20 . The client-resident agent of claim 19 , wherein the client-resident agent intercepts the messages by hooking into the message queue.
21 . The client-resident agent of claim 20 , wherein the client-resident agent hooks into the message queue by substituting a wrapper function for a callback function.
22 . The client-resident agent of claim 21 , wherein the client-resident agent calls the callback function based at least in part on how the keystroke commands are handled.
23 . The client-resident agent of claim 21 , wherein the client-resident agent bypasses the callback function based at least in part on how the keystroke commands are handled.
24 . The client-resident agent of claim 23 , wherein the client-resident agent bypasses the callback function, resulting in blocking an operating system from processing the keystroke commands.
25 . The client-resident agent of claim 15 , wherein the client-resident agent's handling of keystroke commands results in safeguarding keystroke commands from malware.
26 . A system for handling keystroke commands entered via an input device and directed to a running application associated with a memory having a plurality of addresses, the system comprising:
a client-resident agent for:
monitoring the keystroke commands; and
handling the keystroke commands based on a memory address associated with the application; and
a data storage module for storing a list of authorized applications.
27 . The system of claim 26 , wherein the data storage module further stores a list of the memory addresses allocated to the authorized applications.
28 . An article of manufacture having computer-readable program portions embodied thereon for handling keystroke commands, the article comprising computer-readable instructions for:
monitoring keystroke commands being presented to a computer system; and
handling keystroke commands based on a memory address attributed to an application to which the keystroke commands are being directed.