IP Library Granted Patent US 9,672,357
Granted Patent B2
US 9,672,357 · App. 14/751,935 · Granted Jun 6, 2017

System and method to mitigate malware

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,672,357
App. No.
14/751,935
Granted
Jun 6, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that can be configured to receive script data, determine a checksum tree for the script data, compare each checksum of the checksum tree to one or more subtree checksums, and assign one or more classifications to the script data. In one example, the checksum tree is an abstract syntax tree.

Claims (57)

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

receive script data;

determine a checksum tree for the script data;

compare each checksum of the checksum tree to one or more subtree checksums, wherein each of the one or more subtree checksums is a malware checksum or a benign checksum;

assign one or more classifications to the script data, wherein the assigned classification includes a likely malware family name or a benign label; and

store the assigned classifications in memory.

2. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the checksum tree is calculated on an abstract syntax tree.

3. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein each checksum in the subtree checksums is a prevalent malware or benign checksum.

4. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the classification is based on a subtree of the checksum tree that matches a checksum in the subtree checksums.

5. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the assigned classification that includes a likely malware family name further includes a probability value.

6. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein one or more checksums of the checksum tree is a fuzzy checksum.

7. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the machine readable medium to:

serialize the checksum tree into a feature vector.

8. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , further comprising one or more instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the machine readable medium to:

communicate the feature vector to a network element for further analysis.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory element;

a processor;

a tree generation module configured to:

receive script data at the processor; and

determine a checksum tree for the script data; and

a detection module configured to:

compare each checksum of the checksum tree to one or more subtree checksums stored in the memory, wherein each of the one or more subtree checksums is a malware checksum or a benign checksum; and

assign one or more classifications to the script data, wherein the assigned classification includes a likely malware family name or a benign label.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the checksum tree is calculated on an abstract syntax tree.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each checksum in the subtree checksums is a prevalent malware or benign checksum.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the classification is based on a subtree of the checksum tree that matches a checksum in the subtree checksums.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the assigned classification that includes a likely malware family name further includes a probability value.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein one or more checksums of the checksum tree is a fuzzy checksum.

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

serialize the checksum tree into a feature vector.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the detection module is further configured to:

communicate the feature vector to a network element for further analysis.

17. A method comprising:

receiving script data at a processor;

determining a checksum tree for the script data;

comparing each checksum of the checksum tree to one or more subtree checksums, wherein each of the one or more subtree checksums is a malware checksum or a benign checksum;

assigning one or more classifications to the script data, wherein the assigned classification includes a likely malware family name or a benign label; and

storing the assigned classification in memory.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the checksum tree is calculated on an abstract syntax tree.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein each checksum in the subtree checksums is a prevalent malware or benign checksum.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the classification is based on a subtree of the checksum tree that matches a checksum in the subtree checksums.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the assigned classification that includes a likely malware family name further includes a probability value.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein one or more checksums of the checksum tree is a fuzzy checksum.

23. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

serializing the checksum tree into a feature vector; and

communicating the feature vector to a network element for further analysis.

24. A system for mitigating malware, the system comprising:

a memory element;

communication circuitry;

a hardware processor configured to:

receive script data;

determine a checksum tree for the script data;

compare each checksum of the checksum tree to one or more subtree checksums, wherein each of the one or more subtree checksums is a malware checksum or a benign checksum;

assign one or more classifications to the script data, wherein the assigned classification includes a likely malware family name or a benign label; and

store the assigned classifications in memory.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the classification is based on a subtree of the checksum tree that matches a checksum in the subtree checksums.

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 Jun 26, 2015
From: ALME, CHRISTOPH; HAHN, SLAWA; FINKE, STEFAN
To: MCAFEE, INC.
Reel/Frame 035915/0825 →