IP Library Granted Patent US 10,834,109
Granted Patent B2
US 10,834,109 · App. 14/581,439 · Granted Nov 10, 2020

Determining a reputation for a process

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,834,109
App. No.
14/581,439
Granted
Nov 10, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that can be configured to identify a process running on the electronic device, assign a reputation to the process if the process has a known reputation, determine if the process includes executable code, determine a reputation for the executable code, and combine the reputation for the executable code with the reputation assigned to the process to create a new reputation for the process.

Claims (67)

1. At least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

identifying a process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with an electronic device, and a reputation is assigned to the process;

determining a reputation for the executable code;

combining the reputation for the executable code and a reputation of the electronic device with the reputation assigned to the process to update the reputation for the process; and,

in response to determining a thread is attached to the process by an actor process in order to bypass a firewall rule, merging the reputation assigned to the process and a reputation of the actor process or the thread to protect a resource of a computer.

2. The at least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

combining a reputation of a loaded library with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the loaded library.

3. The at least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

combining a reputation of a network element with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the network element.

4. The at least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

combining a reputation of a content file with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the content file.

5. The at least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

combining the reputation of the thread with the reputation for the process.

6. The at least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

determining that the reputation of the electronic device has changed to a new reputation; and

combining the new reputation of the electronic device with the reputation for the process.

7. The at least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

determining a reputation of a behavior of the process; and

combining the reputation of the behavior of the process with the reputation for the process.

8. The at least one non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the reputation for the process is determined based on a whitelist or a blacklist.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to

identify a process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with an electronic device, and a reputation is assigned to the process;

determine a reputation for the executable code;

combine the reputation for the executable code and a reputation of the electronic device with the reputation assigned to the process to update the reputation for the process; and,

in response to determining a thread is attached to the process by an actor process in order to bypass a firewall rule, merge the reputation assigned to the process and a reputation of the actor process or the thread to protect a resource of a computer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

combine a reputation of a loaded library with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the loaded library.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

combine a reputation of a network element with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the network element.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

combine a reputation of a content file with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the content file.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

combine the reputation of the thread with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the thread.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the reputation of the electronic device has changed to a new reputation; and

combine the new reputation of the electronic device with the reputation for the process.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a reputation of a behavior of the process; and

combine the reputation of the behavior of the process with the reputation for the process.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the reputation for the process is determined based on a whitelist or a blacklist.

17. A method, comprising:

identifying a process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with an electronic device, and a reputation is assigned to the process;

determining a reputation for the executable code;

combining the reputation for the executable code and a reputation of the electronic device with the reputation assigned to the process to update the reputation for the process; and,

in response to determining a thread is attached to the process by an actor process in order to bypass a firewall rule, merging the reputation assigned to the process and a reputation of the actor process or the thread to protect a resource of a computer.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

combining a reputation of a loaded library with the reputation for the process, wherein the loaded library interacts with executable code included in the process.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

combining a reputation of a network element with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the network element.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

combining a reputation of a content file with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the content file.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

combining the reputation of the thread with the reputation for the process.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining a reputation of a behavior of the process; and

combining the reputation of the behavior of the process with the reputation for the process.

23. A system for determining a reputation of a process, the system comprising:

a memory including instructions; and

a processor that executes the instructions to become configured for

identifying the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with an electronic device, and the reputation is assigned to the process;

determining a reputation for the executable code;

combining the reputation for the executable code and a reputation of the electronic device with the reputation assigned to the process to update the reputation for the process; and,

in response to determining a thread is attached to the process by an actor process in order to bypass a firewall rule, merging the reputation assigned to the process and a reputation of the actor process or the thread to protect a resource of a computer.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the system is further configured for:

combining a reputation of a network element with the reputation for the process, wherein the process includes executable code that interacts with the network element.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the reputation for the process is determined based on a whitelist or a blacklist.

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 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 →
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 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2018
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 045055/0786 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 12, 2018
From: MCAFEE, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 045056/0676 →
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 Jan 13, 2015
From: SPURLOCK, JOEL R.
To: MCAFEE, INC.
Reel/Frame 034696/0421 →