Technique for data loss prevention through clipboard operations
View Patent ↗Techniques describe preventing sensitive data from being misappropriated during a clipboard operation. A copy operation for data being copied to a clipboard is intercepted. Information describing a first application from which the data was copied is retrieved. The data and the information is stored into the clipboard. A paste operation is evaluated based on the data and the information is evaluated against a policy to determine whether the paste operation should be blocked.
1. A method comprising:
intercepting a copy operation for data being copied to a clipboard;
retrieving information describing a first application from which the data was copied, wherein the information describing the first application includes a process ID of the first application;
storing the data and the information into the clipboard;
intercepting a paste operation for the data to be pasted into a second application;
determining whether a process ID of the second application matches the process ID of the first application;
determining whether the paste operation is user-initiated or application-initiated based on whether a system message queue describes a paste operation corresponding to the intercepted paste operation;
determining that the data includes sensitive data based on a policy; and
determining whether to block or allow the paste operation based on:
the policy,
whether the process ID of the second application matches the process ID of the first application, and
whether the paste operation is user-initiated or application-initiated.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving the data and the information from the clipboard; and
upon determining that the information matches with information describing the second application, allowing the paste operation to proceed.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon determining that the information describing the first application and information describing the second application do not match, determining the paste operation is application-initiated; and
allowing the paste operation to proceed.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the information describing the first application includes at least one of a name of the first application and a window title of the first application.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon determining the process ID of the second application does not match the process ID of the first application, determining the paste operation is user-initiated; and
blocking the paste operation.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed on a processor, perform an operation, the operation comprising:
intercepting a copy operation for data being copied to a clipboard;
retrieving information describing a first application from which the data was copied, wherein the information describing the first application includes a process ID of the first application;
storing the data and the information into the clipboard;
intercepting a paste operation for the data to be pasted into a second application;
determining whether a process ID of the second application matches the process ID of the first application;
determining whether the paste operation is user-initiated or application-initiated based on whether a system message queue describes a paste operation corresponding to the intercepted paste operation;
determining that the data includes sensitive data based on a policy; and
determining whether to block or allow the paste operation based on:
the policy,
whether the process ID of the second application matches the process ID of the first application, and
whether the paste operation is user-initiated or application-initiated.
7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the operation further comprises:
retrieving the data and the information from the clipboard; and
upon determining that the information matches with information describing the second application, allowing the paste operation to proceed.
8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the operation further comprises:
upon determining that the information describing the first application and information describing the second application do not match, determining the paste operation is application-initiated; and
allowing the paste operation to proceed.
9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the information describing the first application includes at least one of a name of the first application and a window title of the first application.
10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , further comprising:
upon determining the process ID of the second application does not match the process ID of the first application, determining the paste operation is user-initiated; and
blocking the paste operation.
11. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing program code, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation,
the operation comprising:
intercepting a copy operation for data being copied to a clipboard,
retrieving information describing a first application from which the data was copied,
wherein the information describing the first application includes a process ID of the first application,
storing the data and the information into the clipboard,
intercepting a paste operation for the data to be pasted into a second application,
determining whether a process ID of the second application matches the process ID of the first application,
determining whether the paste operation is user-initiated or application-initiated based on whether a system message queue describes a paste operation corresponding to the intercepted paste operation,
determining that the data includes sensitive data based on a policy, and
determining whether to block or allow the paste operation based on:
the policy;
whether the process ID of the second application matches the process ID of the first application; and
whether the paste operation is user-initiated or application-initiated.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operation further comprises:
retrieving the data and the information from the clipboard; and
upon determining that the information matches with information describing the second application, allowing the paste operation to proceed.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operation further comprises:
upon determining that the information describing the first application and information describing the second application do not match, determining the paste operation is application-initiated; and
allowing the paste operation to proceed.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the information describing the first application includes at least one of a name of the first application and a window title of the first application.
15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
upon determining the process ID of the second application does not match the process ID of the first application, determining the paste operation is user-initiated; and
blocking the paste operation.