IP Library Granted Patent US 8,677,493
Granted Patent B2
US 8,677,493 · App. 13/227,407 · Granted Mar 18, 2014

Dynamic cleaning for malware using cloud technology

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,677,493
App. No.
13/227,407
Granted
Mar 18, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for providing malware cleaning includes detecting potential malware on a first device connected to a network. A request including information to allow a second device connected to the network to determine an appropriate cleaning response is sent from the first device to the second device over the network. Upon receiving the request, the second device attempts to identify an appropriate cleaning response and, if a response is identified, sends the cleaning response over the network to the first device. The cleaning response is usable by the first device to address the detected potential malware.

Claims (52)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions, comprising instructions that when executed cause a programmable device to:

detect a potential malware on a programmable device connected to a network;

send over the network a request from the programmable device for a cleaning response corresponding to the potential malware; and

receive the cleaning response over the network responsive to the request,

wherein the received cleaning response comprises one or more of:

instructions to execute cleaning routines previously stored on the programmable device;

cleaning routines to be executed by the programmable device; and

instructions to obtain the cleaning response from another device, and

wherein the cleaning routines comprise instructions that when executed by the programmable device cause the programmable device to remove the detected potential malware.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the programmable device to determine that cleaning procedures corresponding to the detected potential malware are not determinable at the programmable device prior to sending the request.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the instructions that when executed cause the programmable device to determine that cleaning procedures corresponding to the detected potential malware are not determinable at the programmable device comprises:

determine that existing cleaning procedures are unacceptable.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that when executed cause the programmable device to detect a potential malware on the programmable device comprise instructions that when executed cause the programmable device to perform a heuristic based analysis of a file of the programmable device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the request is a domain name system query.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the request is encrypted.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the request includes a hash of a file representing the potential malware.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the request includes authentication information.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that when executed cause the programmable device to receive the cleaning response from the another device over the network.

10. A system, comprising:

a storage device, and

a processor operatively coupled to the storage device, the processor adapted to execute instructions stored in the storage device, the instructions comprising instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

receive a request from a client over the network, the request from the client containing information pertaining to the detected potential malware on the client;

determine a cleaning response; and

send the cleaning response to the client over the network responsive to the request,

wherein the cleaning response sent to the client comprises one or more of:

instructions to execute cleaning routines previously stored on the client;

cleaning routines to be executed by the client; and

instructions to obtain a cleaning response from another device, and

wherein the cleaning routines comprise instructions that when executed by the client cause the client to remove the detected potential malware.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the request is a domain name system query.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the act of determining the cleaning response comprises searching a data store of the server for information corresponding to the detected potential malware.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the cleaning response is encrypted.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for providing malware cleaning, on which is stored instructions comprising instructions that when executed cause a programmable device to:

receive a malware cleaning request over a network;

identify a malware definition portion of the malware cleaning request;

search a data store for information corresponding to the identified malware definition portion;

send a cleaning response, responsive to the malware cleaning request, over the network, the cleaning response determined from the information,

wherein the cleaning response comprises one or more of:

instructions to execute previously stored cleaning;

cleaning routines to be executed; and

instructions to obtain a cleaning response from another device, and

wherein the cleaning routines comprise instructions that when executed cause the removal of the detected potential malware.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions that when executed cause the programmable device to identify a malware definition portion of the malware cleaning request comprise instructions that when executed cause the programmable device to parse the malware cleaning request.

16. A method, comprising:

detecting potential malware on a programmable device connected to a network;

sending over the network a request for a cleaning response; and

receiving over the network the cleaning response,

wherein the received cleaning response comprises one or more of:

instructions to execute cleaning routines previously stored on the programmable device;

cleaning routines to be executed by the programmable device; and

instructions to obtain a cleaning response from another device, and

executing the cleaning routines to remove the detected potential malware.

Assignments (10)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE PATENT TITLES AND REMOVE DUPLICATES IN THE SCHEDULE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059354 FRAME: 0335. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 060792/0307 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2022
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 059354/0335 →
RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL - REEL/FRAME 045056/0676 Recorded Mar 2, 2022
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MCAFEE, LLC
Reel/Frame 059354/0213 →
RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL - REEL/FRAME 045055/0786 Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MCAFEE, LLC
Reel/Frame 054238/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT 6336186 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045056 FRAME 0676. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Oct 22, 2020
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 054206/0593 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT 6336186 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 045055 FRAME 786. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Oct 22, 2020
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 055854/0047 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2018
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 045056/0676 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2018
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 045055/0786 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Aug 24, 2017
From: MCAFEE, INC.
To: MCAFEE, LLC
Reel/Frame 043665/0918 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2011
From: SINGH, PRABHAT KUMAR; PRASHANTH, PALASAMUDRAM RAMAGOPAL; JYOTI, NITIN
To: MCAFEE, INC.
Reel/Frame 026882/0938 →