IP Library Granted Patent US 10,489,581
Granted Patent B2
US 10,489,581 · App. 15/141,742 · Granted Nov 26, 2019

Cookies watermarking in malware analysis

Inventors: Zhaoyan Xu (Santa Clara, CA); Wei Xu (Santa Clara, CA); Kyle Sanders (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
G06F21/53H04L63/1425
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,489,581
App. No.
15/141,742
Granted
Nov 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for cookies watermarking in malware analysis are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for cookies watermarking in malware analysis includes receiving a sample at a cloud security service; detonating the sample in an instrumented virtual environment; and determining that the sample is malware based on detecting an attempt to access a watermark cookie during an automated malware analysis using the instrumented virtual environment.

Claims (47)

1. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive a sample at a cloud security service for executing in an instrumented virtual environment to perform an automated malware analysis;

inject a plurality of watermark cookies in the instrumented virtual environment to provide a modified instrumented virtual environment, wherein each of the plurality of watermark cookies comprises a distinct cookie file that is associated with one or more decoy accounts of a distinct web site;

detonate the sample in the modified instrumented virtual environment; and

determine that the sample is malware based on detecting an attempt to access at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies during the automated malware analysis using the modified instrumented virtual environment; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is an HTTP cookie.

3. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is an HTTP cookie associated with a web site.

4. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is stored in a predetermined location in the instrumented virtual environment.

5. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect whether the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies was opened, modified, or sent in the modified instrumented virtual environment; and

automatically generate a cookie-based signature for the sample if the sample is determined to be malware.

6. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect whether the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies was accessed in the modified instrumented virtual environment.

7. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

automatically generate a signature for the sample if the sample is determined to be malware.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving a sample at a cloud security service for executing in an instrumented virtual environment to perform an automated malware analysis;

injecting a plurality of watermark cookies in the instrumented virtual environment to provide a modified instrumented virtual environment, wherein each of the plurality of watermark cookies comprises a distinct cookie file that is associated with one or more decoy accounts of a distinct web site;

detonating the sample in the modified instrumented virtual environment; and

determining that the sample is malware based on detecting an attempt to access at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies during the automated malware analysis using the modified instrumented virtual environment.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is an HTTP cookie.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is an HTTP cookie associated with a web site.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is stored in a predetermined location in the instrumented virtual environment.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

detecting whether the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies was opened, modified, or sent in the modified instrumented virtual environment; and

automatically generating a cookie-based signature for the sample if the sample is determined to be malware.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

detecting whether the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies was accessed in the modified instrumented virtual environment.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

automatically generating a signature for the sample if the sample is determined to be malware.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a sample at a cloud security service for executing in an instrumented virtual environment to perform an automated malware analysis;

injecting a plurality of watermark cookies in the instrumented virtual environment to provide a modified instrumented virtual environment, wherein each of the plurality of watermark cookies comprises a distinct cookie file that is associated with one or more decoy accounts of a distinct web site;

detonating the sample in the modified instrumented virtual environment; and

determining that the sample is malware based on detecting an attempt to access at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies during the automated malware analysis using the modified instrumented virtual environment.

16. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is an HTTP cookie associated with a web site.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is stored in a predetermined location in the instrumented virtual environment.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , further comprising computer instructions for:

detecting whether the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies was opened, modified, or sent in the modified instrumented virtual environment; and

automatically generating a cookie-based signature for the sample if the sample is determined to be malware.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , further comprising computer instructions for:

detecting whether the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies was accessed in the modified instrumented virtual environment.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , further comprising computer instructions for:

automatically generating a signature for the sample if the sample is determined to be malware.

21. The computer program product recited in claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of watermark cookies is an HTTP cookie.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2016
From: XU, ZHAOYAN; XU, WEI; SANDERS, KYLE
To: PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 039131/0374 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62305465 · Mar 8, 2016
Related Publication 20170262629A1 · Sep 14, 2017
Cited By (2)
US 12,229,249 US 12,250,245